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8 - The Morality of Competence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 March 2023

Adrian Evans
Affiliation:
Monash University, Victoria
Richard Wu
Affiliation:
The University of Hong Kong
Shenjian Xu
Affiliation:
China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing
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Summary

‘Negligence’ is frightening to think about, but accepting the possibility of making mistakes as lawyers does not mean we ought to give up on a desire to perform to the best of our ability, and at the peak of our moral consciousness. This chapter applies morality to our technical competence. In the hothouse atmosphere of competitive law firms, the underlying conflict between commercialism and professionalism leads to moral as well as financial risk. Only true professionalism – which emphasizes the dual virtues of integrity and competence – will sustainably support your future. Too much concentration on the business of law and profit can and does lead to the temptation to ‘borrow’ clients’ money and to carelessness. There are extensive conduct and accounting rules that focus on accounting honestly for clients’ money, especially for lawyers who practise across international borders, and we should back that up by arranging professional indemnity (malpractice) insurance against any negligence. In addition, risk management, continuing legal education and specialist accreditation courses are all available through the internet to support you, even if not available through a bar association

Type
Chapter
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The Good Chinese Lawyer
A Student Guide to Law and Ethics
, pp. 254 - 275
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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  • The Morality of Competence
  • Adaptation by Adrian Evans, Monash University, Victoria, Richard Wu, The University of Hong Kong, Shenjian Xu, China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing
  • Book: The Good Chinese Lawyer
  • Online publication: 24 March 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009208505.009
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  • The Morality of Competence
  • Adaptation by Adrian Evans, Monash University, Victoria, Richard Wu, The University of Hong Kong, Shenjian Xu, China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing
  • Book: The Good Chinese Lawyer
  • Online publication: 24 March 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009208505.009
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • The Morality of Competence
  • Adaptation by Adrian Evans, Monash University, Victoria, Richard Wu, The University of Hong Kong, Shenjian Xu, China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing
  • Book: The Good Chinese Lawyer
  • Online publication: 24 March 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009208505.009
Available formats
×