The Practice of Ethical Precepts: Dissecting Decision-Making by Lawyers

20 Pages Posted: 9 Dec 2008

See all articles by Peter Mercer

Peter Mercer

Ramapo College of New Jersey

Terra Strong

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Margaret Ann Wilkinson

University of Western Ontario - Faculty of Law

Date Written: December 8, 2008

Abstract

The article describes the context for a major piece of interdisciplinary research undertaken in Ontario, Canada investigating whether the nature of ethical behaviour was changing over time: whether professionalism or profit was driving the behaviour of lawyers. The project had both conceptual and philosophical aspects and an empirical investigation. Previous research on professional ethics is canvassed, including studies of medical ethics, and the particular problems associated with research about the legal profession are identified. The full methodology of the empirical aspect of the research is described and all methodological decisions are discussed and justified. Appendices contain all research instruments. The results of a pre-test involving twenty lawyers demonstrated that better results were obtained through the use of anecdotes or critical incidents than through use of vignettes.

Suggested Citation

Mercer, Peter and Strong, Terra and Wilkinson, Margaret Ann, The Practice of Ethical Precepts: Dissecting Decision-Making by Lawyers (December 8, 2008). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1313148 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1313148

Peter Mercer

Ramapo College of New Jersey ( email )

505 Ramapo Valley Road
Mahwah, NJ 07430
United States

Terra Strong

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Margaret Ann Wilkinson (Contact Author)

University of Western Ontario - Faculty of Law ( email )

London, Ontario N6A 3K7 N6A 3K7
Canada

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