Formal Ethics Opinions
The Board of Professional Responsibility assists members of the legal community in interpreting their ethical obligations by issuing Formal Ethics Opinions about specific issues from time to time. Many opinions are the result of study and analysis in response to requests from attorneys throughout the state. These Formal Ethics Opinions are available online and may be searched below using either keywords or opinion numbers.
- 2023-F-170 Updated guidelines for an attorney's acceptance of credit card payments
- 2023-F-169 Ethical obligations of departing attorneys and their former firms to notify clients of their options when an attorney leaves a firm
- 2022-F-168 Circumstances that establish a systematic and continuous presence in Tennessee for the practice of law as in-house counsel
- 2019-F-167 Ethical propriety of settlement agreement requiring destruction of product in a products liability case
- 2018-F-166 Confidentiality Provisions in Settlement Agreements
- 2018-F-165 Legal Services Websites
- 2017-F-164 - Proposed interstate law firm SETCO Law
- 2017-F-163 - Vacated*
- 2017-F-162 - Ombudsman attorney
- 2016-F-161 - Settlement Agreements
- 2015-F-160(a) - Client Files
- 2015-F-160 - Client Files
- 2015-F-159 - Storing client information in the cloud
- 2014-F-158 - Testator's attorney client privilege
- 2013-F-157 - Appointed guardian ad litem representing another interest of child
- 2013-F-156 - Criminal Defense Attorney
- 2012-F-155 - District Attorneys compliance with expungement
- 2010-F-154 - Require Plaintiff's Attorney to insure payment of medical bills or liens
- 2007-F-153 - Ghost writing for pro se litigant
- 2006-F-152 - Lawyer Advertising Agency
- 2005-F-151 - Memphis Pilot Program
- 2004-f-150 - Accidental Disclosure
- 2004-F-149 - False or Misleading Advertising
- 2003-F-147 - Imputed Disqualification of Non-lawyer staff
- 2002-F-146 - Part time District Attorneys
- 2000-F-145 - Insurance Company Directing Attorney
- 99-F-144(a) - Vacated*
- 2001-F-144(b) - Vacated*
- 99-F-144 - Vacated*
- 99-F-143(a) - Insurance Company Directing Attorney
- 99-F-143 - Insurance company directing attorney
- 98-F-142(a) - Mediator on Attorney's Letterhead
- 98-F-142 - Mediator on Attorney's Letterhead
- 98-F-141 - Settlement Clause restricting right to practice
- 96-F-140 - Appointed Counsel for Minor in Abortion Case
- 96-F-139 - Estate Planning Company
- 96-F-138 - Bail Bondsman Distributing Lawyer's Card
- 95-F-137(a) - Vacated*
- 2001-F-137(b) - Vacated*
- 95-F-137 - Vacated*
- 95-F-136 - Attorney representing client and client's health insurer
- 94-F-135 - Trust Accounts of Law Related Services
- 94-F-134(a) - Attorney loaning funds to adverse party and contingent fee in child support matter
- 94-F-134 - Attorney loaning funds to adverse party
- 96-F-133(a) - Client Perjury and Confidences
- 93-F-133 - Vacated*
- 93-F-132 - Vacated*
- 93-F-131 - Lawyer Mediator on Signage
- 93-F-130 - Bar Association Divorce Mediation Program
- 92-F-129 - Criminal Defendant Waiver of Rights in Appointed Case
- 92-F-128(b) - Request for reconsideration of FEO 128(a)
- 92-F-128(a) - Retainer fees, flat fees, advanced fees, advanced costs and expenses, pre-paid fees, nonrefundable retainer fees
- 92-F-128 - Retainer fees, flat fees, advanced fees, Advanced costs and expenses, pre-paid fees, nonrefundable retainer fees
- 92-F-127 - Avoiding appointment in criminal cases
- 91-F-126 - Bar Association Colleagues Program
- 91-F-125 - Attorney General Seeking and Receiving Fees
- 90-F-124 - Co-mediation with non-lawyer
- 90-F-123 - DHS attorneys' child support services
- 90-F-122(a) - Private Lawyer Referral Service
- 90-F-122 - Vacated*
- 89-F-121 - Mechanics of Trust Accounting
- 89-F-120 - Vacated*
- 89-F-119 - Fee Dispute Committee members excused from duty to report
- 89-F-118 - Screening Procedures to avoid imputed disqualification
- 88-F-117 - Criminal Defense lawyer filing Motion to Suppress
- 88-F-116 - Prosecutor filing petitions for contempt and attachment without notifying prior counsel
- 88-F-115(a) - Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association
- 88-F-115 - Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service
- 88-F-114 - Unsolicited Contact with non-client
- 88-F-113 - Accepting Employment from Insurer
- 87-F-112 - Prosecutor approached by Defendant without knowledge of defendant's attorney
- 87-F-111 - Vicarious Disqualification of Entire Staff of District Attorney
- 87-F-110 - Vacated*
- 87-F-109 - Attorney handling of Settlement Proceeds and client objects to payment of medical expenses
- 86-F-108 - Attorney as substitute Trustee purchasing foreclosed property
- 2002-F-107(b) - Governmental Attorneys
- 86-F-107(a) - Public Official Attorneys and their associates
- 86-F-107 - Vacated*
- 86-F-106 - Retention of Client Documents
- 86-F-105 - County Commissioner representing criminal defendants
- 86-F-104 - Representation adverse to Former Client
- 85-F-103 - Law Firm allowing non-lawyer to use address
- 85-F-102 - Prepaid Legal Service Plans
- 85-F-101 - Medical Consultant on contingent fee
- 85-F-100 - Attorney employed by Insurer to defend Insured
- 85-F-99 - Leasing non-lawyer staff
- 85-F-98 - Mediation sponsored by Christian organization
- 85-F-97 - Giving Interest from Trust Account to Charity
- 85-F-96(a) - Settlement Negotiations including attorney fees
- 85-F-96 - Settlement Negotiations including attorney fees
- 85-F-95 - Law Firm Brochures
- 85-F-94 - Paralegals appearing at Docket Calls
- 85-F-93 - No Vicarious Disqualification because of personal interest of withdrawing lawyer
- 85-F-92 - Dual Representation of Criminal Defendant and Sheriff
- 2012-F-91(c) - Vacated*
- 2002-F-91(b) - Vacated*
- 2002-F-91(a) - Vacated*
- 85-F-91 - Vacated*
- 85-F-90 - Interest on separate Client Trust Accounts
- 85-F-89 - Vacated*
- 85-F-88 - Government official representing private client
- 85-F-87 - Law Firm selling subscriptions to publication
- 85-F-86 - Interviewing non-defendant treating physician
- 85-F-85(a) - Lawyer appointed to represent indigent prisoner in civil case lawyer believes is frivolous
- 85-F-85 - Lawyer appointed to represent indigent prisoner in civil case lawyer believes is frivolous
- 85-F-84 - Judge Related to Law Partner
- 85-F-83 - County Attorney
- 84-F-82 - Law firm name "An Association of Attorneys"
- 85-F-81(a) - Fee sharing with collection agency
- 84-F-81 - Fee sharing with Collection agency
- 84-F-80 - Corporation billing clients for in-house counsel services
- 84-F-79 - Vacated*
- 84-F-78 - Vacated*
- 84-F-77 - Fees in Structured Settlements
- 84-F-76 - Listing areas of practice in Martindale-Hubbell
- 84-F-75 - Lawyer using non-lawyer brokerage firm to solicit clients
- 84-F-74 - Employee Attorney representing corporation
- 99-F-73(a) - Murder Defendant Insists No Argument against the Death Penalty
- 84-F-73 - Murder defendant insists no argument against the death penalty
- 84-F-72 - Vacated*
- 84-F-71 - Vacated*
- 84-F-70 - Office sharing with client
- 84-F-69 - Reporting Misappropriation
- 84-F-68 - Interest bearing Trust Account
- 84-F-67 - Vacated*
- 84-F-66 - Attorney-Client Privilege
- 84-F-65 - Representation adverse to former client
- 84-F-64 - Vacated*
- 84-F-63 - Advertising fees for routine services
- 84-F-62 - Fee sharing with religious order
- 84-F-61 - Contingent fees in structured settlements
- 84-F-60 - County Attorney
- 84-F-59 - County Attorney
- 83-F-58 - County Judge Representing county school board
- 83-F-57 - City Attorney Associate
- 83-F-56 - Representing Criminal Defendants
- 83-F-55 - District Attorney
- 83-F-54 - Lawyer Witness
- 83-F-53 - County Attorney
- 83-F-52 - In-House Counsel
- 83-F-51 - Attorney taking over attorney files
- 83-F-50 - Suspended attorney
- 83-F-49(a) - Vacated*
- 83-F-49 - Vacated*
- 87-F-48(a) - Vacated*
- 83-F-48 - Vacated*
- 83-F-47 - Delegation of Appointment
- 83-F-46(b) - Interviewing Nurses in Case against Hospital
- 83-F-46(a) - Interviewing Board of Directors
- 83-F-46 - Interviewing non-management employees
- 83-F-45 - Ex Parte communications to judge
- 83-F-44(a) - Corporation billing clients for in-house counsel services
- 83-F-44 - Corporation billing clients for in-house counsel services
- 83-F-43 - Representation of associate
- 83-F-42 - Client Property Trial Transcript
- 83-F-41 - County Attorney
- 83-F-40 - Vacated*
- 83-F-39 - Partnership with Non-Lawyer
- 82-F-38 - Representation against Corporation when partner is registered agent
- 82-F-37 - Vacated*
- 82-F-36 - Lawyer Second Occupation
- 82-F-35 - Client Information Tax Preparation
- 82-F-34 - Law Related Services
- 82-F-33 - Constitutionality of Bar Polls
- 82-F-32 - Private practice for former judicial official
- 82-F-31 - Vacated*
- 82-F-30 - Fee Division with Client
- 82-F-29 - Disciplinary counsel interviewing respondent's family
- 82-F-28(a) - Vacated*
- 82-F-28 - Vacated*
- 82-F-27 - Interviewing non-management state employees
- 82-F-26 - Vacated*
- 82-F-25 - Client Information to Funding Agency
- 81-F-24 - Appointed to Criminal Case
- 81-F-23 - City Attorney
- 81-F-22 - Demand letters to adverse parties prior to suit
- 81-F-21 - Representation of both parties in contested divorce
- 81-F-20 - Investigative Subpoena
- 81-F-19 - Representation of law firm partner/witness
- 81-F-18 - Representation of Law Enforcement Association
- 81-F-17 - Propriety of a law firm producing a manual about the law firm
- 81-F-16 - Representation of both parties in irreconcilable differences divorce
- 81-F-15 - Public Attorney
- 86-F-14(a) - Vacated*
- 81-F-14 - Vacated*
- 81-F-13 - Representation of clients before Boards
- 81-F-12(a) - DHS Prosecutor Representing Defense Clients
- 81-F-12 - Vacated*
- 81-F-11 - Beer Board Attorney
- 81-F-10 - Vacated*
- 81-F-9 - Former Client
- 81-F-8 - Intrastate Affiliation of Law Firms
- 81-F-7 - Class Action
- 81-F-6 - Fee Dispute with Client
- 81-F-5 - Vacated*
- 81-F-4 - County Attorney
- 80-F-3(a) - Trade Exchange for Barter of Legal Services
- 80-F-3 - Trade Exchange for Barter of Legal Services
- 80-F-2 - Agents for Title Insurance Companies
- 80-F-1 - Structured Settlements
- 80-F-1 - Structured Settlements
- 2017-F-163