West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals Professional Rules of Conduct:
Preamble: Lawyers' Duties to the Client
- A lawyer's primary responsibility is to his client. However, a lawyer is an officer of the court and has an independent duty to the judicial system which serves both the lawyer and the client.
- A lawyer's conduct is governed by the West Virginia Rules of Professional Conduct and by the rules of the courts before which the lawyer practices. A lawyer's conduct is governed by the highest standards of courtesy, integrity, human decency and respect for the judicial system the lawyer serves. A client has no right to demand or expect the lawyer to violate those rules and standards.
- A lawyer is obligated to provide competent representation to a client.
- A lawyer is obligated to exercise diligence in the pursuit of the client's interest.
- A lawyer is obligated to be punctual in fulfilling all professional commitments.
- A lawyer is obligated to be courteous, respectful and civil to parties, witnesses and other lawyers, to the court, and to the court's staff.
- A lawyer is obligated to demonstrate good faith in adhering to promises and agreements to other counsel and to cooperate with the court in the furtherance of the judicial process.
- A lawyer is obligated to refrain from abusive, hostile, demeaning or offensive conduct toward others even if a client requests it.
- A lawyer is obligated to remain uninfluenced by any ill feeling which may exist between litigants.
- A lawyer has the ultimate responsibility to determine accommodations to be granted opposing counsel and is not obligated to accede to a client's demands that the lawyer act in an uncooperative manner toward opposing counsel.
