Mark Dubois

Mark Dubois is counsel with the New London firm of Geraghty & Bonnano. He was Connecticut’s first Chief Disciplinary Counsel from 2003 until 2001. In that position he established an office that investigated and prosecuted attorney misconduct and the unauthorized practice of law. He is co-author of Connecticut Legal Ethics and Malpractice, the first book devoted to the topic of attorney ethics in Connecticut. He is a weekly contributor to the Connecticut Law Tribune where he writes the Ethics Matters column. Attorney Dubois represents individuals accused of ethical misconduct and malpractice. He also serves as an expert witness on matters of ethics and malpractice. He teaches ethics at UConn Law School and has taught ethics as Quinnipiac University School of Law where he was Distinguished Practitioner in Residence in 2011. He has lectured in Connecticut and nationally on attorney ethics and has given or participated in over 75 presentations and symposia on attorney ethics and malpractice. He has also taught trial advocacy and legal research and writing. Attorney Dubois has been board certified in civil trial advocacy by the National Board of Legal Specialty Certification for over 20 years. He is presently president-elect of the Connecticut Bar Association and will be president in 2014. In addition to being an officer of the Bar Association, he is a member of the Professional Discipline, Unauthorized Practice, Pro Bono and Mentoring committees. He is a member of the New Britain, New London, and American Bar Associations as well as the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers. He is the recipient of the Quintin Johnstone Service to the Profession Award in 2012 and the American Board of Trial Advocacy, Connecticut Chapter, Annual Award in 2007.

October 24, 2016 | Connecticut Law Tribune

As the Leaves Fall and the Days Shorten...

I just can't see returning to the days of extreme exclusionary immigration policies, especially when it condemns many victims of our feckless foreign policy to certain death.

By MARK DUBOIS

8 minute read

October 17, 2016 | Connecticut Law Tribune

Running From Trouble: When Lawyers Should Alert Ethics Officials

A recent draft Virginia ethics opinion wrestles with the issue of whether and when lawyers have a duty to alert ethics folks that a fellow lawyer has become disabled or is showing signs of impairment.

By MARK DUBOIS

9 minute read

October 11, 2016 | Connecticut Law Tribune

The Importance of Writing Well

There was a kerfuffle the other day when the powers that rule on such things proposed reducing the length of federal appellate briefs by 1,500 words. After much hand-wringing, weeping and gnashing of teeth, the limit was reduced from 14,000 to 13,000. Civilization will continue.

By MARK DUBOIS

8 minute read

October 03, 2016 | Connecticut Law Tribune

Lawyers' Powers Not as Broad as Many Think

Lawyers' powers are only as broad as the grant of authority we receive. We can't make up new ways of doing things, either on the civil or criminal side, simply because they save time or are more efficacious. For that we need to change the law.

By MARK DUBOIS

8 minute read

September 27, 2016 | Connecticut Law Tribune

Media Circuses Deny Due Process and Fair Trials

Jurisprudence in the last few decades has wrestled with balancing lawyers' First Amendment rights, the public's right to know, the need for open courts and the accused's rights to a fair trial.

By Mark Dubois

9 minute read

September 22, 2016 | Connecticut Law Tribune

The Use and Misuse of the Rules of Conduct

A recent New York City Bar ethics decision on the duties of criminal prosecutors raises interesting questions regarding the interplay of the rules of conduct and standards of lawyer conduct applicable in civil and criminal contexts.

By MARK DUBOIS

9 minute read

September 13, 2016 | Connecticut Law Tribune

Jurisdictional Boundaries

Many states still take their sovereignty seriously and will not hesitate to haul out-of-state lawyers into their disciplinary courts if they believe they are fishing without a license.

By Mark Dubois

9 minute read

September 06, 2016 | Connecticut Law Tribune

School of Hard Knocks

These days, many lawyers start their careers on their own, without any network of support or guidance.

By Mark Dubois

8 minute read

August 29, 2016 | Connecticut Law Tribune

Offensive Personality

Something about summer in California brings out the crazy. Developments in the law of lawyer conduct are not immune.

By MARK DUBOIS

8 minute read

June 27, 2016 | Connecticut Law Tribune

Mark Dubois: In Face of Staffing Shortage, Disciplinary Counsel's Office Should Try New Approach

As fellow Law Tribune columnist Norm Pattis recently noted, my former office, the Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel, has shrunk.

By MARK DUBOIS

8 minute read

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