Advisory Opinion: 1002

Year Issued: 1986

RPC(s): RPC 6.3

Subject: Conflict of interest; city attorney serving on board of civic body with claim against city

The Committee was of the opinion that the situation raised by you concerning your employment as a city attorney and your membership on the Board of a civic body adverse to the city in litigation is somewhat analogous to the situation presented in RPC 6.3 concerning a lawyer serving as a member of a legal services organization. It was the opinion of the Committee that when such situations arose, if you could be isolated from access to any case in which the city attorney's office was representing the city in litigation adverse to the agency on whose Board you served, there would be nothing in the Rules of Professional Conduct to prohibit such conduct. The Committee directed that I send to you a copy of Hoquaim v. PERC, 97 Wn.2d 481.

Advisory Opinions are provided for the education of the Bar and reflect the opinion of the Committee on Professional Ethics (CPE) or its predecessors. Advisory Opinions are provided pursuant to the authorization granted by the Board of Governors, but are not individually approved by the Board and do not reflect the official position of the Bar association. Laws other than the Washington State Rules of Professional Conduct may apply to the inquiry. The Committee's answer does not include or opine about any other applicable law other than the meaning of the Rules of Professional Conduct.