Question: Will the Arizona State Bar allow Arizona lawyers to represent businesses in the Arizona medical marijuana industry or will it push the industry toward LegalZoom?
Answer: The Arizona State Bar says to Arizona lawyers, “we’ll get back to you on that.” Today, January 31, 2011, I received the following email message from John F. Phelps, CEO/Executive Director of the Arizona State Bar:
The State Bar’s Committee on Rules of Professional Conduct has undertaken a review of Arizona’s new medical marijuana law and its impact on our ethical rules. The committee is composed of members of the State Bar from a wide variety of practice areas, all with significant experience and interest in lawyer ethics. The State Bar plans to provide guidance on this matter in advance of the law’s implementation, currently scheduled for late March of this year. In the interim, the State Bar will not take regulatory action against attorneys for counseling or assisting clients in the implementation of the medical marijuana law during this period.
