Rule 4.1 Truthfulness in Statements to Others

When a lawyer is working on a client's case, they have to be honest with other people involved, like opposing parties, witnesses, or other lawyers. A lawyer cannot knowingly lie about something important, whether it's a fact or a point of law.

There's also a duty to speak up in certain situations. If staying silent would help a client commit fraud or a crime, the lawyer may need to reveal an important fact instead of just staying quiet. However, this duty has a limit: if another rule (Rule 1.6, which covers client confidentiality) says the lawyer must keep that information secret, then the lawyer does not have to disclose it.

In short, this rule stops lawyers from lying to people outside the case and, in some cases, requires them to speak up rather than help hide a fraud. But it balances that against the lawyer's separate duty to protect client secrets.