Legal ethics and professional responsibility are governed by rules, cases, and ethics opinions. The rules can often be found in an annotated code.
Many states follow the previous or current model rules of professional conduct. You can usually find the rules within a print annotated code.
Rule 12.9.5 of The Bluebook (22d ed. 2025) covers the citation of the ABA Model Rules.
The citation should include the following:
Practitioner typeface:
Model Rules of Pro.Conduct r. 1.5 (A.B.A. 2009).
Scholarly citation typeface:
Model Rules of Pro. Conduct r. 1.5 (A.B.A. 2009).
Rule 23.5 of the ALWD Citation Manual (7th ed.) covers the citation of model codes and rules of professional responsibility.
The citation should include the following:
Model Rules of Pro. Conduct r. 1.5 (Am. Bar Ass'n 1983).
The American Bar Association promulgates model ethics rules. These rules are not binding law in any jurisdiction unless affirmatively adopted by the legislature of that jurisdiction. Many states follow the previous or current model rules of professional conduct in some fashion. You can find the model rules in print on reserve but you can also find them on Lexis, Wesltaw, and in the ABA / BNA Lawyer’s Manual.
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