RPC 3.9 Advocate in Nonadjudicative Proceedings

When a lawyer speaks on behalf of a client at a government hearing that is not a court case, such as a legislative committee meeting or a government agency hearing, they must tell the group that they are there as a representative. They cannot pretend to be speaking just for themselves.

The lawyer must also follow the same honesty and fairness rules that apply in regular court cases. This means they cannot lie to the decision-makers, hide important evidence, or try to improperly influence the people running the hearing.

These rules apply to settings like lobbying before the state legislature or speaking at a zoning board meeting. The goal is to make sure lawyers act with the same level of honesty in government hearings as they would in a courtroom.