Ethics Advisory Committee

The Ethics Advisory Committee of the State Bar of New Mexico is a volunteer committee composed of New Mexico lawyers who practice in a variety of areas and are located geographically throughout the state. The committee issues two types of advisory opinions. Informal opinions are issued in response to specific inquires by attorneys admitted to practice in this state. Formal opinions are published for the membership as a whole, and provide general guidance which is more broadly relevant to more attorneys. The committee reviews each formal opinion issued by the ABA Center for Professional Responsibility.

The Mission of the Ethics Advisory Committee is to inform and advise inquiring New Mexico lawyers on the committee’s interpretation of the New Mexico Rules of Professional Conduct, (RPC), as applied to the Inquiring Lawyer’s (IL) duties via a non-binding written informal opinion which represents the consensus of the committee members who considered the request.

• Mission and Guidelines
• 2022 Annual Report

Submit an Ethics Question

Other Resources for Ethics Assistance

• Formal Ethics Opinions https://www.sbnm.org/Leadership/Committees/Ethics-Advisory-Committee/Ethics-Advisory-Opinions
  • The Formal Opinions listed are a historical index dating back to 1983. Some of the listed opinions may be outdated or no longer relevant due to changes in case law, statutes or court rules. Lawyers must thoroughly research all sources to determine the validity of any of the advice given in any formal advisory ethics opinion.
• Ethics Helpline / (800) 326-8155
  • Our Ethics Helpline is available for more immediate assistance. IL may call the helpline and at the recording leave contact information whereby an ethics attorney will call back, usually the same or next business day. These are non NM attorneys for conflict and confidentiality reasons, but are versed in our Rules of Professional Conduct. The call is confidential and the State Bar pays the consultation fee.
• ABA Center for Professional Responsibility – Ethics Assistance
  • https://www.americanbar.org/groups/professional_responsibility.html
• Fastcase: Free online legal research for State Bar active members and Paralegal Division members at no charge. 
• New Mexico Compilation Commission