Lawyers barred from sex with clients in this state
Lawyers in New Jersey will be explicitly prohibited from having sex with clients under a new ethics rule adopted by the New Jersey Supreme Court. (Image from Shutterstock)
Lawyers in New Jersey will be explicitly prohibited from having sex with clients under a new ethics rule adopted by the New Jersey Supreme Court.
The amendment to the New Jersey Rules of Professional Conduct, announced Thursday, takes effect Sept. 1 but contains an exception for preexisting sexual relationships. That exception allows an attorney to represent a spouse, a romantic partner or someone with whom the lawyer already had a consensual sexual relationship.
The rule applies to any attorney who assists in representing the client but does not automatically extend to other lawyers in the same law firm who have no role in the client’s case.
New Jersey had been one of only 10 states without an explicit rule prohibiting lawyers from having sexual relations with clients, according to a story by the New Jersey Globe.
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