2025 What modern art teaches about attorney ethics

Modern art isn’t just visual expression—it’s a lens through which we can examine complex ethical concepts in legal practice. In this thought-provoking seminar, the CLE Performer, Stuart Teicher, Esq., uses the work and philosophies of iconic artists to illuminate key rules of professional conduct. By analyzing how creative intention, process, and public perception intersect with legal behavior, you’ll gain unexpected insights into what it means to practice law ethically. 

Learning objectives:

• Jeff Koons – Understand how issues of authorship, delegation, and originality in Koons’ work reflect concerns in Rule 5.1 and Rule 5.3, which govern lawyer supervision and responsibility over nonlawyer assistance.
• Jackson Pollock – Explore how Pollock’s embrace of spontaneity and chaos contrasts with the discipline required under Rule 1.1, helping attorneys reflect on competence and the boundaries of creative legal strategy.
• Andy Warhol – Examine how Warhol’s appropriation and replication techniques challenge notions of authenticity, providing a frame to discuss Rule 4.1 and truthfulness in statements to others.
• Edward Hopper – Consider Hopper’s themes of isolation and communication to better understand the importance of client engagement under Rule 1.4, including the emotional and ethical dimensions of legal communication.

Speaker: Stuart Teicher, The CLE Performer

Opinions and positions stated by presenters of MoBarCLE programs are those of the presenters and not necessarily those of The Missouri Bar. This program is intended as information for lawyers in Missouri, in conjunction with other research they deem necessary, in the exercise of their independent judgment.