2021 Ethics Update

Melinda J. Bentley serves as Legal Ethics Counsel, and she provides oral and written informal advisory opinions to attorneys on issues related to the Missouri Rules of Professional Conduct.  In that position, she also serves as administrator and counsel to the Advisory Committee of the Supreme Court of Missouri. She began serving in that position in 2012. Prior to that she worked for the Illinois State Bar Association. She is a frequent speaker and author on professional responsibility matters. Ms. Bentley currently serves as a member of the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility. She also currently serves on the Planning Committee for The Missouri Bar Solo and Small Firm Conference, and is a member of The Missouri Bar, Illinois State Bar Association, American Bar Association, National Organization of Bar Counsel, Bar  Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, and Cole County Bar Association. She was a board member and officer of the National Organization of Bar Counsel from 2015-2020, including a term as President from 2018-2019, and formerly served as a member (2015-2016) and Chair (2016-2018) of the Editorial Board of the ABA/BNA Lawyers’ Manual on  Professional Conduct.