What is a key consideration when a friend or family member is connected to a case your firm handles?

• A. Publicly disclose the personal relationship to clients to gain trust.
• B. Maintain strict confidentiality and inform the lawyer of any potential conflict of interest.
• C. Reassign the case to the friend or family member.
• D. Ignore the connection if the case is unlikely to be affected.

Answer: (B)

When a friend or family member is connected to a case, the key issue is managing a potential conflict of interest while protecting client information. The right approach is to keep all client details strictly confidential and promptly inform the attorney or firm about any personal connection that could affect representation. This gives the firm a chance to assess the situation and decide on appropriate steps, such as conflict screening, obtaining informed client consent, or reassigning tasks, to preserve ethical duties and the integrity of the case.

Disclosing the relationship publicly to clients isn’t appropriate and can create unnecessary bias or privacy concerns. Reassigning the case to the friend or family member isn’t automatically required and could itself raise conflicts or practical problems. Ignoring the connection would violate professional responsibilities to identify and manage conflicts.