Miami Law Students Conduct Ethics Training for State Attorney's Office

Garrett Lorentz and Kamal Sleiman, second-year students from Miami Law's Professional Responsibility & Ethics Program, conducted an ethics training session recently for the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office. Under the supervision of the program's director, Jan L. Jacobowitz, and Fellow Kelly Rains, Lorentz and Sleiman focused the discussion on cutting-edge ethical issues relevant to the practice of the modern prosecutor.

By UM News 01-25-2012

Topics such as prosecutorial discretion, the benefits and ethical implications of using social media, and communication with opposing counsel were explored in the context of an interactive hypothetical.

"It wasn't until after we had begun preparation for the training that I realized how substantial the impact of social media could potentially be upon those who are entrusted to pursue the administration of justice," Lorentz said. "The issues are not only relevant, but could result in extensive changes to the way that not only prosecutors, but everyone in the legal profession, takes action to comply with the Rules of Professional Conduct in the future."

Sleiman said he was "pleased with the audience's desire to engage in a meaningful discussion of the potential ethical implications present in the hypotheticals," and remarked that he felt "the enthusiasm of those involved in the training validated the extensive time and effort" he and Lorentz had put into the project.

The Professional Responsibility and Ethics Program was established in 1996 as in-house program within the Center for Ethics and Public Service at the University of Miami School of Law.