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A Lawyer's Least Favorite Topic: Malpractice Insurance; Research from Minnesota Lawyers Mutual Shows Lawyers Would Rather Not Think About Malpractice.


Legal Writers

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 16, 2002

Liability issues loom large for all businesses. Little mention is made of the reality lawyers themselves must face. Once a rare occurrence, the frequency of legal malpractice A lawyer is obligated to comply with a code of ethics that is adopted by the state in which the lawyer practices. These rules, typically known as the Model Rules of Ethics, or Ethical Rules, address a lawyer's conduct in various situations.  is on the rise.

Small law firms This list of the world's largest law firms by revenue is taken from The Lawyer and The American Lawyer and is ordered by 2006 revenue:[1]
  1. Clifford Chance, £1,030.2m – International law firm (headquartered in the UK);
  2. Linklaters, £935.
 are slow to utilize legal malpractice insurance. Many firms are hesitant and don't perceive a need. The effects of not getting legal malpractice insurance are not apparent until years later when there is litigation An action brought in court to enforce a particular right. The act or process of bringing a lawsuit in and of itself; a judicial contest; any dispute.

When a person begins a civil lawsuit, the person enters into a process called litigation.
. The financial ramifications ramifications nplAuswirkungen pl  can be disastrous, says Joseph Bixler, whose company provides firm management resources for law firms.

"Our research shows that lawyers carry a certain amount of dread about professional liability," said Bixler. Bixler leads Minnesota Lawyers Mutual, which commissioned focus groups across the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area.  to discover lawyers attitudes about professional liability insurance. "They tend to want to forget about it."

The most common reasons for legal malpractice suits are failure to file lawsuits on time or inadequate documentation, conflict of interest with the client and not informing the client about a material matter.

"Current forecasting trends suggest that the average attorney will experience a claim every five to 10 years," says Bixler. "New lawyers entering the practice can expect to face three malpractice lawsuits over the course of their practices."

Oregon is currently the only state to have a mandatory program requiring all private practice attorneys to carry malpractice insurance Noun 1. malpractice insurance - insurance purchased by physicians and hospitals to cover the cost of being sued for malpractice; "obstetricians have to pay high rates for malpractice insurance" . Four states - Alaska, Ohio, South Dakota South Dakota (dəkō`tə), state in the N central United States. It is bordered by North Dakota (N), Minnesota and Iowa (E), Nebraska (S), and Wyoming and Montana (W).  and Virginia - have varying requirements for disclosure of professional liability coverage. According to Bixler, most state bar associations recommend that lawyers in private practice maintain continuous malpractice coverage.

If not fully prepared for malpractice claims, an attorney accepts the financial consequences. Besides financial resources, handling a suit can drain the attorney's valuable time. Malpractice insurance covers the cost of defense and the economic damages up to the limit of the policy. Nationwide programs like Prolegia from Minnesota Lawyers Mutual have been designed to become a resource for law firms in creating a low-risk practice environment.

Minnesota Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company has provided professional liability insurance since 1982. MLM MLM Multi-Level Marketing
MLM Mailing List Manager
MLM Marxism-Leninism-Maoism
MLM Mid-Level Manager
MLM Medical Liability Monitor (newsletter)
MLM Multi-Longitudinal Mode
MLM Military Liaison Mission
 was founded by attorneys in order to secure a stable source of malpractice insurance.

For more information about legal malpractice, call 1-800-422-1370 or visit www.prolegia.com.
COPYRIGHT 2002 Business Wire
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2002, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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Publication:Business Wire
Date:Dec 16, 2002
Words:370
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