Paul Paton Honoured for Expertise in Legal Ethics

Photo by: Bernard Clark

Professor Paul Paton was appointed as a 2006 NIFTEP Fellow in November 2006.

Professor Paul Paton of Queen's Law has been internationally recognized for his expertise in the areas of legal ethics and law firm practice by the National Institute for Teaching Ethics and Professionalism (NIFTEP). In November 2006, NIFTEP appointed Paton as a 2006 Fellow, inviting him to participate in a series of legal seminars, the key session focusing on the ‘law firm as a business'.

NIFTEP, established in the United States in 2005, is a consortium of five nationally recognized centers on ethics and professionalism.* NIFTEP conducts annual workshops that bring together leading academics and practitioners in the fields of ethics and professionalism in law. Participants in the workshops are selected annually by NIFTEP as designated Fellows, chosen for their commitment to promoting and teaching ethics and professionalism.

Paton has proven himself to be a leading educator in both areas. A former associate and partner at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP and a full-time academic at Queen's since 2004 focusing on corporate law and legal ethics, Paton is considered an expert in legal ethics and the practice of law. Paton has held a seat on the Canadian Bar Association Ethics and Professional Issues committee since March 2006, where he and others revise and expand the CBA Code of Professional Conduct and provide guidance on ethics issues. In October 2006, Paton chaired a session for the Law Society of Upper Canada on commercialism and professionalism in the legal profession. In addition, he authored an article focused on lawyers engaged in corporate law practice that was published in a Special Edition of the Canadian Bar Review dedicated to Legal Ethics. Earlier in 2006, as commissioned by the Law Society of Upper Canada, Paton conducted a study on lawyers acting as whistleblowers in the corporate arena. Further, with his diverse background rich in public policy and research, Paton indeed has a unique perspective to share in his field.

For his portion of the NIFTEP workshop, Paton plans on delving into both U.S. and Canadian law, under the general theme of examining existing pressures on lawyers and law firms in North America. "Canada and the U.S. differ greatly in the way that ethical rules are created and enforced," said Paton. "This year, my focus will be directed on the pressures of practice and how that influences ethical decision making."

This is Paton's second consecutive year as a NIFTEP Fellow, and Paton is proud to once again be the only Canadian selected. Although every chosen Fellow is an expert is his/her own field, Paton is aware of the significance of his achievement. "[The appointment] is a wonderful acknowledgment of my interest in and work on ethics in corporate practice," he said. "I am proud to be bringing a Canadian perspective to a very important discussion."

While the NIFTEP workshops are held exclusively in the United States, Paton is working hard to ensure the field of ethics continues to grow in Canada. In conjunction with the Canadian Legal Ethics Curriculum Network and the Law Society of Alberta, he is a member of the committee organizing a conference on ‘Legal Ethics Teaching in Canada' to be held in Edmonton in 2007. As well, in February 2007, Paton has been chosen to speak at the International Congress on Ethics on ‘Ethical Decision Making in Situations of Conflict and Crisis' taking place in Ottawa.

*For more information on NIFTEP, please visit http://law.gsu.edu/ccunningham/Professionalism/NIFTEP/