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Ch 32, p.70 RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT May 2012
respect to the same matter. Under some circumstances the legal and law-related services may be so
closely entwined that they cannot be distinguished from each other, and the requirement of
disclosure and consultation imposed by paragraph (a)(2) of the rule cannot be met. In such a case a
lawyer will be responsible for ensuring that both the lawyer’s conduct and, to the extent required by
rule 32:5.3, that of nonlawyer employees in the distinct entity that the lawyer controls comply in all
respects with the Iowa Rules of Professional Conduct.
[9] A broad range of economic and other interests of clients may be served by lawyers’ engaging
in the delivery of law-related services. Examples of law-related services include providing financial
planning, accounting, economic analysis, social work, psychological counseling, and non-legal
consulting such as engineering, medical, or environmental consulting.
[10] When a lawyer is obliged to accord the recipients of such services the protections of those
rules that apply to the client-lawyer relationship, the lawyer must take special care to heed the
proscriptions of the rules addressing conflict of interest (rules 32:1.7 through 32:1.11, especially
rules 32:1.7(a)(2) and 32:1.8(a), (b), and (f)), and to scrupulously adhere to the requirements of rule
32:1.6 relating to disclosure of confidential information. The promotion of the law-related services
must also in all respects comply with rules 32:7.1 through 32:7.5, 32:7.7, and 32:7.8, dealing with
advertising and solicitation. In that regard, lawyers should take special care to identify the
obligations that may be imposed as a result of this state’s decisional law.
[11] When the full protections of all of the Iowa Rules of Professional Conduct do not apply to
the provision of law-related services, principles of law external to the rules, for example, the law of
principal and agent, govern the legal duties owed to those receiving the services. Those other legal
principles may establish a different degree of protection for the recipient with respect to
confidentiality of information, conflicts of interest, and permissible business relationships with
clients. See also rule 32:8.4 (Misconduct).
[12] Certain services that may be performed by nonlawyers nonetheless are treated as the practice
of law in Iowa when performed by lawyers, including consummation of real estate transactions,
preparation of tax returns, legislative lobbying, and estate planning. See rule 32:3.9, cmt. [4]; Iowa
Ct. R. 37.5. Accordingly, the lawyer providing such services must at all times and under all
circumstances comply fully with the Iowa Rules of Professional Conduct.
[Court Order April 20, 2005, effective July 1, 2005]
PUBLIC SERVICE
Rule 32:6.1: VOLUNTARY PRO BONO PUBLICO SERVICE
Every lawyer has a professional responsibility to provide legal services to those unable to
pay. A lawyer should aspire to render at least 50 hours of pro bono publico legal services per
year. In fulfilling this responsibility, the lawyer should:
(a) provide a substantial majority of the 50 hours of legal services without fee or expectation
of fee to:
(1) persons of limited means or
(2) charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental, and educational organizations in
matters that are designed primarily to address the needs of persons of limited means; and
(b) provide any additional services through:
(1) delivery of legal services at no fee or substantially reduced fee to individuals, groups,
or organizations seeking to secure or protect civil rights, civil liberties, or public rights,
or charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental, and educational organizations in
matters in furtherance of their organizational purposes, where the payment of standard legal
fees would significantly deplete the organization’s economic resources or would be otherwise
inappropriate;
(2) delivery of legal services at a substantially reduced fee to persons of limited means; or
(3) participation in activities for improving the law, the legal system, or the legal profession.
In addition, a lawyer should voluntarily contribute financial support to organizations that
provide legal services to persons of limited means.
Comment
[1] Every lawyer, regardless of professional prominence or professional work load, has a