Excerpts from State Bar Rules of Professional Conduct
Rule 1.2. Scope of Representation.
(a) A lawyer shall abide by a client's decisions concerning the objectives of
representation, subject to paragraphs (b), (c), (d), and shall consult with the client as
to the means by which they are to be pursued. . . .
(b) A lawyer may limit the objectives of the representation if the client consents after
consultation.
(c) A lawyer shall not counsel a client to engage, or assist a client, in conduct that the
lawyer knows is criminal or fraudulent, but a lawyer may discuss the legal consequences of
any proposed course of conduct with a client and may counsel or assist a client to make a
good faith effort to determine the validity, scope, meaning or application of the law.
(d) When a lawyer knows that a client expects assistance not permitted by the Rules of
Professional Conduct or other law, the lawyer shall consult with the client regarding the
relevant limitations on the lawyer's conduct.
Rule 2.1. Advisor.
In representing a client, a lawyer shall exercise independent professional judgment and
render candid advice. In rendering advice, a lawyer may refer not only to law but to other
considerations such as moral, economic, social and political factors, that may be relevant
to the client's situation.