The ethics of a gig: Freelance legal work enables cheating

Lawyers’ Forum

By Michael A. Zuckerman

Michael A. Zuckerman is a clinical assistant professor at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law who teaches communication and legal reasoning. Zuckerman previously practiced law at Jones Day and clerked for several federal judges.

Posted April 22, 2020 10:23 AM

Cheating in law school is as old as it is troubling. We are a profession that prides itself on integrity, and we should all cringe when we hear of any future lawyer cheating to get ahead. It is even worse when a lawyer assists that law student in doing so.In the age of the gig economy, it is easy to find someone to do just about anything. Lawyers included. Freelance websites abound, and lawyers are increasingly taking on freelance gigs.The gig economy has a lot of benefits, but for lawyers it has a lot of pitfalls, too …

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