Writing
Richard Zitrin’s writings from throughout his career are listed below. Please click each link to read.
Major Daily Newspapers
Time to Outlaw Secret Settlements - NY Times Opinion Letter, July 2, 2019
A Lethal Culture of Secrecy at G.M. - NY Times Opinion Letter, June 11, 2014
Chevron Fire - Legal System Fares Poorly - SF Gate.com, August 20, 2012
Poor Showing by Legal Industry in Chevron Fire - SF Chronicle, August 20, 2012
Secrecy’s Dangerous Side Effects - LA Times, February 8, 2007
Time to End the Secrecy - SF Chronicle, August 21, 2001
Out of Jail Through a Garden - SF Examiner, April 7 1999
Lawyers in Class Actions Should Make Certain Fees Are Fair - NY Times Opinion Letter, November 29, 1995
Feature Articles in major Periodicals
Why Being Anti-Racist Is Not Enough - ABA Journal, January 14, 2021
Monroe Freedman Was Right About Atticus Finch – and Harper Lee - law.com, July 22, 2015
Why Lawyers Keep Secrets About Public Harm - ABA Professional Lawyer, Summer 2001
Overcoming Secrecy with Judicial Power - Trial, November 2000
It’s Time to Question Secret Settlements - Voir Dire, Spring 2000
Ethics Rules for Neutrals - ABA Professional Lawyer, Summer 1999
Truth, Justice, and the Criminal Defense Lawyer - ABA Professional Lawyer Summer 1998
Ethics in Ashes – California Lawyer, November 1998
The Kaczynski Dilemma - Legal Times - February, 2 1998
Hollywood Law - California Lawyer, March 1991
Law Review Articles
Regulating the Behavior of Lawyers in Mass Individual Representations: A Call for Reform, St. Mary’s J. on Legal Ethics and Malpractice 86 (2013)
The Judicial Function: Justice Between the Parties or a Broader Public Interest, 32 Hofstra L. Rev. 1565, Summer 2004
The Laudable South Carolina Court Rules Must Be Broadened 55 So. Carol. L. Rev. 883, Summer 2004
Five Who Got It Right, 13 Widener Law Journal 209 (2004)
The Case Against Secret Settlements (Or What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You), 2 [Hofstra] J. Inst. for the Study of Legal Ethics 115 (1999)
The Moral Compass syndicated column
Persky’s Move - A Reaction to the Reactionary - September 1, 2016
The State Bar’s Discipline System Is Broken - May 12, 2016
Bar Flunks History Test - April 29, 2016
Law Firms Put Themselves Before Clients with Advance Waivers - April 10, 2015
State Bar Initiates Ethics Rewrite 2.0 - February 16, 2015
State Bar Intrigue Shows Little Concern for Transparency - December 5, 2014
State Supreme Court Resets Ethics Rewrite - October 10, 2014
Secret Settlements Fueled GM’s Latest Ethical Inferno - June 13, 2014
Playbook Theory of Disqualification Isn’t New - March 28, 2014
The Ethical Obligations of Your Avvo Profile - January 17, 2014
Avvo Has Your Number But What Does It Mean? - January 6, 2014
Mediation Confidentiality - We Need Exceptions - October 21, 2013
Privilege Can’t Be Used Against Client - August 30, 2013
Law Firms Gain Secrecy at the Expense of Client Loyalty, July 19, 2013
Guard Your Client’s Public Secrets - June 13, 2013
Court Struggles to Regulate Attorney Blogging - May 17, 2013
The Narrative Form Is an Untenable Solution - March 29, 2013
When Can a Lawyer Break Privilege? - March 1, 2013
Full Disclosure is Key in Mass Plaintiff Cases - December 14, 2012
How to Handle Mass Tort Conflicts - December 7, 2012
State Bar Disaster Team Overreaches - August 17, 2012
Reducing Class Size Is the Right Thing to Do - June 11, 2012
When a Lawyer Needs a Lawyer - May 11, 2012
Lack of Court Funding Further Hampers Access - April 16, 2012
Trust - Don’t Just Talk About It – Earn It - March 9, 2012
Bar Discipline - Part 3 - Fixes Elusive in Bar Discipline - November 18, 2011
Bar Discipline - Part 2 – Sometimes Bar Discipline Is Too Aggressive - October 3, 2011
Bar Discipline - Part 1 - How Bad - Really Bad September 19, 2011
Too Many Lawyers, Too Many Law Schools August 8, 2011
Practical Solutions to the Errant Fax and Other Slips - May 25, 2000
South Carolina Flag Flap - March 13, 2000
Law Firms Seem to the Stealing Signs from Baseball on Salary Issues - February 4, 2000
A Fistful of Fees - December 30, 1999
The Accountants Are Coming! - MDPs - November 24, 1999
Who’s Afraid of Pro Bono? - Lots of People - Octiber 25, 1999
Associate Stress Disorder - September 27, 1999
How High the Bar - July 30, 1999
Action Needed on Class Action - July 1, 1999
No Badge of Courage - June 9, 1999
Calculated Malfeasance - May 7, 1999
Striking Back at SLAPPS - April 28, 1999
Throwing a Head Case - April 21, 1999
Hide and Secrets - April, 14, 1999
Don’t Settle for Secrets - April 12, 1999
Overprivileged - March 17, 1999
Other Law Periodical Articles
Competence and (Introducing) Diligence - The Daily Journal, September 9, 2017
At Issue - Should Lawyers Be Required to Perform Free Work for the Poor - CQ Researcher, Vol. 31, No. 25, October 7, 2011
State Bar’s ‘Find a Lawyer’ Doesn’t Protect the Public - The Recorder, November 29, 2010
A Challenge to SF’s Law Firms - September 13, 2002
The Fault Lies in the Ethics Rules - National Law Journal, July 9, 2001
After the Whistle Blows - The Recorder, December 13, 2000
False Profits - House Counsel, Fall 1999
Letter - Conflicts Panel - The Recorder, March 12, 1999
Don’t Settle for Secrets - Legal Times, April 12, 1999
Dangerous Liaisons - House Counsel, Spring 1999
Getting in the Middle - The Recorder, Feb 17, 1999
Unauthorized Practice - House Counsel, Fall 1998
Roundtable: The Scandal’s Legal Coups and Gaffes - Legal Times, September 28, 1998
Attorney Client Sieve - The Recorder, April 8, 1998
The High Road - LA and SF Daily Journal, Dec. 30, 1996
Class Action Conflict - California Lawyer, March 1996
Ethical Dilemmas for the Partnership Lawyer - California Lawyer, February 1996
How to Comply with the ABA’s New Standards - ABA Lawyer Referral Network, Summer 1995
An Ethics RX for Your Practice - California Bar Journal, May 1994
Knowing When to Disqualify Yourself from a Case - California Bar Journal, February 1994
Ethical Issues Face LRIS’s Too - ABA Lawyer Referral Network, Spring 1993
Risky Business Representing Multiple Interests - Ethics Hotliner, Winter 1992-93
Drafting Airtight Fee Agreements - California Lawyer, October 1992
Emerging Ethical Issues in Mediation – California Lawyer, April 1992
Attorney Heal Thyself - California Lawyer, July 1991
Ethics - In House Out-Laws? - California Lawyer, December 1990
When Fees Are Unethical - California Lawyer, November 1989
Gambling with Multiple Interests - California Lawyer, April 1989
sports articles
Keep the Team in Oakland - San Francisco Chronicle, June 18, 2015
Still Perfect After All These Years - NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture, Spring 2008
Rotisserie Leagues Are Here to Stay - San Francisco Chronicle, July 18, 1990
Beware Those Midseason Stats - San Francisco Chronicle, July 12, 1990
Now, a Word from the Real Moguls… - The Sporting News, March 5, 1990
On Behalf of Run Scorers - San Francisco Chronicle, September 7, 1989
Fantasy-League Tip: Youngsters with Injuries - San Francisco Chronicle, June 27, 1989
Where Have All the Horses Gone? - San Francisco Chronicle, May 16, 1989
An Insider Tells How to Pick a Fantasy Team - San Francisco Chronicle, March 31, 1989