Legal malpractice litigation requires strict adherence to standards, rules, and limitations unique to this area of professional liability law. District of Columbia Legal Malpractice Law serves as a practical guide for lawyers pursuing or defending attorney malpractice claims in Washington, D.C., while also helping practitioners understand how to prevent attorney negligence and meet their ethical duties. This resource is designed for legal malpractice attorneys, professionals focused on attorney discipline, and anyone addressing law firm liability or attorney professional liability concerns in the District of Columbia.
The book explains the foundations of lawyer malpractice actions, including conflicts of interest, common claim elements, defenses, and issues tied to the District of Columbia's distinctive legal malpractice law. It also explores partnership liability, risks in law firm management, D.C. attorney negligence exposure, D.C. bar professional responsibility requirements, and key ethics considerations for trial lawyers. Additional topics covered include sanctions, attorney discipline procedures, and related professional rules.
The eBook format includes hyperlinks to cases, code, rules, statutes and other sources cited in the book.
The 2026 edition of District of Columbia Legal Malpractice Law includes the seminal cases decided in the last two years relating to the necessary elements of a legal malpractice claim, such as the scope of duty owed to clients and non-clients, plus case law updates including:
- Defenses to a D.C. legal malpractice claim, including the use of motions to dismiss, Rule 11 motions, the requirement for proximate cause, and the impact of favorable settlements on the merits of a malpractice claim
- New discussion of issues such as using experts to establish the standard of care, disqualification motions, the authority of courts to regulate D.C. attorneys for conduct that occurs outside of the jurisdiction, and the treatment of unearned fees from a client
- Analysis of cutting-edge ethical and technology issues facing D.C. attorneys, including the ethics of relying on generative artificial intelligence and the duty of competence with regard to evolving technology