In recent advisory from the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility, guidelines have been issued for current and former government attorneys regarding confidential information. The advice, released on Wednesday, underscores the importance for attorneys to be vigilant with their handling of such information, particularly when transitioning to the private sector or taking on private clients.
The guidance stresses the potential need for these attorneys to recuse themselves from representing a client if their possession of “confidential government information” could present a conflict of interest. This would essentially mean that attorneys who find themselves in possession of such information may have to disqualify themselves from representing certain clients.
Further details regarding the specific guidance from the American Bar Association can be found in the original article.