MPRE study guide
MPRE · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) is a standardized ethics examination used by most U.S. jurisdictions as one of the requirements for admission to the bar. The MPRE study guide has 10 sections and about 3,734 words.
01Regulation of the Legal Profession
MPRE questions here test who regulates lawyers and how far a license reaches. The ABA Model Rules bind only as adopted by a jurisdiction's highest court; numbering and text vary by state, and discipline is administered by the court through bar authorities.
382 words, about 2 min02The Client-Lawyer Relationship
No writing or fee is needed to create a client relationship; a person who reasonably believes the lawyer is representing her may be a client. Rule 1.2 allocates authority: the client sets the objectives, the lawyer controls the means.
369 words, about 2 min03Client Confidentiality
Rule 1.6 bars revealing information relating to the representation. It is broader than the attorney-client privilege: it covers all information gained in the professional relationship, whatever its source, and it survives the end of the representation.
350 words, about 2 min04Conflicts of Interest
Rule 1.7(a) defines a concurrent conflict two ways: representation of one client will be directly adverse to another client, or there is a significant risk the representation will be materially limited by responsibilities to another client, a former client, a third person, or a personal interest. A concurrent conflict is curable by informed consent, confirmed in writing, if the lawyer reasonably believes she can provide competent and diligent representation, the representation is not prohibited by law, the clients are not asserting claims against each other in the same litigation, and no client is represented by another lawyer in the matter as a result.
376 words, about 2 min05Competence, Legal Malpractice, and Liability to Third Parties
Rule 1.1 requires legal knowledge, skill, thoroughness, and preparation reasonably necessary for the representation - not perfection or specialization. A general practitioner may accept an unfamiliar matter by studying the law or associating experienced counsel.
347 words, about 2 min06Litigation and Other Forms of Advocacy
Rule 3.1 bars frivolous claims, but a lawyer may advocate in good faith for extending or reversing existing law. Rule 3.2 requires reasonable efforts to expedite litigation consistent with the client's interests.
383 words, about 2 min07Transactions and Communications with Persons Other Than Clients
Rule 4.1 forbids false statements of material fact or law to a third person and forbids failing to disclose a material fact when disclosure is necessary to avoid assisting a client's criminal or fraudulent act (unless Rule 1.6 forbids it). There is no duty to help the adversary: negotiating positions and puffery are permissible, but misstating facts, law, or the lawyer's authority to settle is not.
384 words, about 2 min08The Profession and the Public
Rule 7.1 prohibits false or misleading communications, including true statements that create a misleading impression through omission, unverifiable comparisons, or implied specialization outside certified fields (see Rule 7.4). Rule 7.2 permits advertising but bars giving anything of value to a person for recommending the lawyer or for a referral.
377 words, about 2 min09Judicial Conduct
Judicial ethics questions are governed by the canons of judicial conduct: independence, impartiality, integrity, and the avoidance of impropriety and its appearance in all activities. A judge must uphold the law, perform duties competently and diligently, be patient and courteous, and maintain order and decorum in proceedings.
378 words, about 2 min10Maintaining the Integrity of the Profession
Rule 8.3 requires a lawyer who knows of another lawyer's violation raising a substantial question as to honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness to inform the appropriate professional authority. There is no duty for minor violations, and Rule 8.3(c) forbids disclosing information protected by Rule 1.6 without the client's consent - so a client's confidences cannot be reported.
388 words, about 2 min