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.

December 05, 2013 | Connecticut Law Tribune

Opinion: Trend Toward Increased Politicization Of Probate Judge Races

As noted in this paper and other media, it appears that there may be a trend toward the increased politicization of probate judge races. Probate judges are the only judges I know of who are elected in our system. While the idea of donating money to judges or their party's campaign committee may be foreign to us, it is common in states where all judges are required to seek election to obtain or retain office.

By Mark Dubois

5 minute read

November 26, 2013 | Connecticut Law Tribune

Opinion: Marijuana Moneyball

I may have found my next career. A neighbor of mine in Provincetown is making progress towards obtaining a license to grow and sell medical marijuana. I offered to do quality control for him. He demurred, but I haven't given up. Of course, I might to offer to be his lawyer, but that might be more difficult.

By Mark Dubois

4 minute read

November 19, 2013 | Connecticut Law Tribune

Opinion: Unified Bar Would Fragment The Profession

The Law Tribune's Editorial Board has now written two editorials suggesting that Connecticut switch to a unified bar. That's a really bad idea.

By MARK DUBOIS

4 minute read

November 13, 2013 | Connecticut Law Tribune

Opinion: Private Justice And Other Short Takes

I just returned from a regional conference of bar leaders. Mostly, I think this group gets together to plan get-togethers, but it doesn't hurt to hear that others have the same pain as you. For instance, it appears that other states are facing the "brain drain" with some of the best and brightest leaving the trial and appellate benches to join firms offering alternative dispute resolution practices

By Mark Dubois

4 minute read

November 06, 2013 | Connecticut Law Tribune

Opinion: When Attorneys Are 'A Little Off'

I was running with a colleague the other day and she described another lawyer as follows: "He's like you; smart, but a little off." Thanks! I think. I was musing over that comment recently as I participated in a symposium on impaired lawyers.

By Mark Dubois

4 minute read

November 01, 2013 | New Jersey Law Journal

Who Are Legal Scholars Writing For?

Re-evaluating the place of academic legal writing; is a lot of ink being wasted?

By Mark Dubois

4 minute read

November 01, 2013 | Connecticut Law Tribune

Opinion: The Value Of Legal Scholarship

An American Bar Association committee studying the "problem" of law schools, recently issued a draft report. Among other things, the authors posited that some of the cost of law school was driven by the need to hire and retain faculty who spent a lot of time doing research and writing scholarly papers.

By Mark Dubois

4 minute read

May 07, 2012 | Connecticut Law Tribune

An Expert Opinion On Specialist Certification

Someone asked me the other day if I considered myself an expert on legal ethics. Hmmm.... Good question. When I left my office as disciplinary counsel, I had handled something over 1,100 files. In some circles, doing the same thing again and again gives you some creds.

By MARK DUBOIS

4 minute read

April 09, 2007 | Connecticut Law Tribune

Commentary: Lawyers' Duties Extend Beyond Just Their Clients

The Law Tribune's Advisory Board correctly identified one of the important changes in the Rules of Professional Conduct with respect to lawyers' duties to avoid assisting clients and others in conduct that is either criminal or fraudulent. (See "The Changing Role Of Lawyers," April 2, 2007, page 22.)

By MARK DUBOIS

4 minute read

November 09, 2012 | Connecticut Law Tribune

The Paladin Of Uri Kresh

One who knows me only from this column might think I am a dry sort, spending my spare time bloviating about ethics and not much fun otherwise. However, I do have my moments. One thing I did recently was to attend a LARP event in the woods of eastern Connecticut.

By Mark Dubois

4 minute read

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