Court Reporting Board of Arizona Proposes to Cut Ethics From Code

[Lisa Migliore Black]

http://blog.courtreportersaz.com/2013/09/16/court-reporting-board-o...

[Martha R]

Is the Arizona board being sued?  Is that why they are gutting the ethics code?  

[Lisa Migliore Black]

Yes, a suit brought by Magna.  

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1769019/Magna%20v.%20Arizona--A...

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1769019/AZ%20Motion%20to%20Dism...

[Lisa O'Sullivan]

“Gutting the code,” as stated in the link, is one way of looking at this development.  However, the language proposed to be removed was considered overreaching to begin with, based on our Constitution. So “modifying the code so that it is in compliance with the supreme law of the land” is another way of looking at it.

[Quyen]

Good. I hope Magna wins. Ethics should be a guideline, not stated as a rule/law/regulation.

[Marge Teilhaber (TILE hobber)]

Quyen, if you want Magna to win, I will have to read the document to understand.  I'll be back!

[Lisa Migliore Black]

Couldn't disagree more.  Obviously, the biggest corporations don't adhere to GUIDElines; their actions are only motivated by bottom LINES.

[Quyen]

What for-profit BUSINESS is NOT about bottom lines? Last I checked, not a single CR firm is nonprofit or a charity organization. I'm sure your company's objective is to increase its bottom lines too. Or are you giving out transcripts and services for free out of the kindness of your heart?

[Lisa Migliore Black]

Making a profit is important to any business.  HOW a business makes a profit should be important to the owners and consumers. 

If ethics weren't written into law and regulations, imagine what harm could be perpetrated on the public by its most trusted professionals:  judges, attorneys, police, doctors, accountants.  If ethics weren't written into law, imagine how our children would be marketed to with cartoon adds from cigarette and alcohol companies.  All of the above examples make a good living.   

In our industry, certified and licensed professionals should not be disadvantaged by their requirements under the law, rules, and regulations, and the public should not be preyed upon.

[Quyen]

Okay, remind me again how "the public [is] preyed upon"? By providing a verbatim transcript regardless of who conducts the proceedings or orders a copy?

It's called MARKETING, as all of the lawyers and nonlawyers that I have spoken with on this topic have agreed.

[Lisa Migliore Black]

Marketing is one thing.  Bribery is another.  

[Quyen]

Bribery?! Oh, puh-lease.

[Lisa Migliore Black]

Is there an amount that you deem reasonable for what you call marketing?  

ABA has an ethics opinion on this topic, as do several state bars. Handing out some pens, mugs, or thumb drives for marketing purposes, not the issue.  Handing out gift cards, vacations, rewards points, cash, iPads, gaming systems, expensive champagne, is the issue.  ABA, in my opinion, has a little more street cred than Joe Blow, Esq., that hasn't studied the issue.