Maine Rules of Professional Conduct

The Maine Supreme Judicial Court adopted the Maine Rules of Professional Conduct with an effective date of August 1, 2009. On the same date Maine Bar Rule 2-A (Aspirational Goals for Lawyer Professionalism), Maine Bar Rule 3 (Code of Professional Responsibility) and Maine Bar Rule 8 (Contingent Fees) were abrogated, as they were replaced by the Maine Rules of Professional Conduct.

To aid in interpreting these new Rules, they have been published with the Preamble, comments and reporter's notes. In its publication order, the Court addressed the Preamble, comments and reporter's notes as follows:

The specific rules of the Maine Rules of Professional Conduct are stated below. To aid in understanding of the rules, a Preamble from the Maine Task Force on Ethics precedes the rules, and the text of each rule is followed by comments and reporter's notes. The Preamble, comments and reporter's notes state the history of and reasons for recommending the rules, discuss the relation of the new rules to the current Code of Professional Responsibility, and offer interpretations of the new rules, but the Preamble, comments and reporter's notes are not part of the rules adopted by the Court.

Table of Contents

(Including amendments through November 1, 2014)

Client-Lawyer Relationship

Counselor

Advocate

Transactions with Persons other than Clients

Law Firms and Associations

Public Service

Information About Legal Services

Maintaining the Integrity of the Profession

View Complete List of Maine Conduct Rules