Ethics Advisory Panel

c/o Licht Judicial Complex

Office of General Counsel
250 Benefit Street
Providence, Rhode Island 02903
(401) 222-3267
eap@courts.ri.gov

The Ethics Advisory Panel was established by the Supreme Court in 1986 to provide Rhode Island attorneys with confidential advice on prospective behavior based on the Rules of Professional Conduct. Although attorneys are not required to abide by panel opinions, those who do so are fully protected from any subsequent charge of impropriety.

Panel opinions are published in the Rhode Island Bar Journal and the Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly. The State Law Library maintains a set of panel opinions along with a topical index. The ABA/BNA Manual on Professional Conduct also indexes and publishes summaries of the panel opinions. In addition, Ethics Advisory Panel opinions are available here on the Judiciary's website.

The responsibilities of the panel's attorney include advising the panel on issues of legal ethics; drafting ethics opinions; rendering advice and guidance on a daily basis to attorneys making ethics inquiries, either in person or by telephone; and providing ethics research to the panel, to the members of the Rhode Island Bar, and to attorneys throughout the country. The panel's attorney also represents the panel in litigation.

Members


  • Lise J. Gescheidt, Esquire, Chair
  • Anthony F. DeMarco, Esquire
  • Mark S. Mandell, Esquire
  • Christopher S. Gontarz, Esquire
  • Richard A. Boren, Esquire
  
Rules of Professional Conduct (Article V)
Rules of the Rhode Island Supreme Court Ethics Advisory Panel