This text is an abridgement of the Restatement of the Law Third–The Law Governing Lawyers, intended primarily for use in law school legal ethics courses as either a textbook or as supplemental reading. This restatement addresses such issues as the formation of the client-lawyer relationship, legal malpractice, and the potential liability of lawyers to third-party non-clients.

Submitted by the Council to the members of the American Law Institute for discussion.

​​This volume introduces the reader to national standards to illustrate the growing body of law that​ ​governs lawyer conduct: the American Bar Association’s Model Rules of Professional Conduct, the American Law Institute’s Restatement of the Law Governing Lawyers, and selected federal statutes and rules.​ New to the 2023-2024 Edition: 2022 American Bar Association Model Rules of Professional Conduct, as amended through December 2022