PREP Students Explore Attorney Confidentiality with Dade Legal Aid Attorneys

Students from Miami Law's Professional Responsibility and Ethics Program (PREP), Matthew Friendly, Kamal Sleiman, and Garrett Lorentz, recently presented an interactive ethics CLE program at Dade Legal Aid. Under the supervision of Jan L. Jacobowitz, PREP's Director, the students created a lively hypothetical format, which focused on ethical issues pertaining to disclosure of confidential information and the use of social media.

By UM News 06-18-2012

The PREP students engaged the Dade Legal Aid attorneys in an in-depth conversation about the circumstances in which an attorney may disclose a condition such as HIV during a child custody battle. "The attorneys at Legal Aid were engaged and ready for a meaningful discussion of this developing, timely issue," observed Sleiman.

"This was an interesting topic from an ethical, moral and legal perspective," added Friendly. "It was great to participate with practicing attorneys in a discussion about confidentiality and when disclosure may be appropriate."

Lorentz concluded that, "It was a meaningful experience to witness the attorneys at Dade Legal Aid analyze our hypotheticals. Their responses provided us with real life feedback and insight into their thought processes. It was great to see the attorneys working together to attack our issues and provide collaborative solutions."

The Professional Responsibility and Ethics Program has dedicated countless student hours to public service and has educated thousands of members of the Florida Bench and Bar. As the students teach, they learn and quite often make a difference, prompting organizations to pause and reconsider their approaches to some of the toughest ethical dilemmas.