Reference no: EM133474448
Question: Lianna is an associate attorney for a small firm located in the heart of Broyhill, Maine. Amber and Jake are her supporting legal team. Jake typically handles phone reception, managing the day-to-day office activities, paying bills, and overall keeping the practice running. Amber is the primary paralegal in the firm, responsible for client interviews, legal research, drafting documents, and filing documents with the Clerk of Courts.
Last week Amber noticed an Instagram post by Jake that included a picture of a current client and his thoughts on her appearance. Even worse, Jake included several tags that alluded to her lawsuit with the firm and the opposing party to the claim. Jake appears to personally know the opposing party in this case. Amber has not spoken with Lianna about her observations because Lianna has been unreachable for the past four days. She has not returned client phone calls, appeared for court as scheduled, and missed a filing deadline on a critical document. Both Amber and Jake are concerned about her wellbeing because they know she is struggling with a recent breakup that has led to her using alcohol. Amber has already signed Lianna's name on a document to prevent a missed deadline and plans to continue doing so if needed.
Jake has suggested that Amber call a persistent client back to answer a few questions in Lianna's absence. Amber respects Lianna and wants to do what she can to help. During the call Amber answers all of the client's questions and makes a few recommendations related to his case.
Answer discussing all of the potential ethical issues in this scenario. Include the specific Model Rules that support each issue and clearly cite any additional sources you reference. Finally, provide a recommendation for each issue regarding how each person should have responded to challenges they were facing.