This Understanding treatise presents a systematic position on lawyers' ethics. The authors argue that lawyers' ethics is rooted in the Bill of Rights and in the autonomy and the dignity of the individual. This traditionalist, client-centered view of the lawyer's role in an adversary system corresponds to the ethical standards that are held by a large proportion of the practicing bar.

From this perspective, the authors of Understanding Lawyers' Ethics analyze the fundamental issues of lawyers' ethics, and particularly the ABA's Model Rules and Model Code. Even if students do not share the authors' viewpoint, they can benefit from this presentation because it challenges them to appreciate the underlying reasons for the position presented. This treatise is designed to facilitate a real understanding of legal rules as distinguished from a superficial familiarity with them by challenging the reader to test their understanding of the legal rules against the reader's own moral standards and reasoned judgment.

The Fifth Edition includes: