Legal ethics research guide this guide focuses on the codes of professional ethics and ethics opinions available from the american bar association and various state bar associations contents of this guide include codes of professional ethics and ethics opinions. Guide to sources on how to conduct legal research in legal ethics and professional responsibility including new york introduction to legal ethics and professional responsibility research including a short history of the aba rules. This guide is a starting point for research in databases and documents pertaining to researching legal ethics law at the unm law library it includes both primary and secondary materials in both print and electronic formats if you have questions please contact the law librarys reference desk at 505 277 0935 or at libreflawunmedu. Lawyers can ask their state or local bar or the aba for an opinion on a legal issue that they feel is not adequately addressed in the rules the bar can either choose to address the issue through a formal ethics opinion if the issue would be of interest to a broad group of attorneys or through an informal opinion to the lawyer in question. Library guides legal ethics research guide secondary sources search library guides search legal ethics research guide home the restatement of the law third the law governing lawyers is an attempt to restate the law of legal ethics and is intended to clarify and synthesize common law applicable to the legal profession