You have all been hired by a law firm that is in difficulty. The firmwas seriously understaffed for several months and the communications toclients were not done well. Several disciplinary proceedings have beenbrought against attorneys in the firm.

1. They did not communicate at all with some clients. When calls,texts, and emails from clients were not answered for weeks, clientsassumed the worst and notified the state disciplinary authorities. Theattorneys' defenses are generally that clients should not have panicked,the cases just take time, and the clients should drop the proceedingssince the cases are okay.
2. The lawyers allowed paralegals to deliver legal advice to someclients. Sometimes the paralegals signed letters of advice and othertimes verbally gave advice. This has resulted in disciplinaryproceedings. The attorneys claimed that they "checked on and approved"the advice before it was given, but that defense is not working.
3. Still other clients claim that the law firm sent letters,signed by lawyers, but the communication method was unprofessional. Theletters just said things like, "enclosed are documents…" and listedthe titles of documents sent. The documents were not understandable tothese clients.

What principles should the law firm follow to avoid these problemsin the future? Cite your sources from the text and professionalresponsibility codes. Collaborate on solutions. Think!