New Jersey Rules of Professional Conduct – 2026
The ethical duties of a New Jersey lawyer, adopted July 12, 1984 and effective September 10, 1984, cited "RPC 1.6" without a state prefix. New Jersey took the ABA Model Rules as its structure and then departed from them in ways that matter in practice. RPC 1.6 requires disclosure of confidential information where the lawyer reasonably believes it necessary to prevent the client from committing a criminal, illegal or fraudulent act likely to result in death, substantial bodily harm or substantial injury to the financial interest or property of another - a mandatory duty where the Model Rule is permissive. RPC 5.4 permits certain fee arrangements the Model Rules restrict, and RPC 7.1 and 7.2 govern advertising against a body of New Jersey advisory opinions. RPC 1.7 and 1.8 carry the state's own conflicts framework, and RPC 1.15 the trust accounting duties enforced through the Rules of Court. The rules are published by the Judiciary as an appendix to Part 1 of the Rules of Court and are enforced through R. 1:20, the attorney discipline rules, which remain in the general Rules of Court set.
Browse all 57 rules of the 2026 edition below. Each rule includes the full text, a plain-English summary, committee notes, amendment history, and cross-references to related rules. Use the search box to find rules by keyword or number.