I understand that all persons affiliated with Community Legal Services and given access to confidential client information, including but not limited to lawyers, paralegals, support staff, technical staff, interns, externs, law students, law students or attorneys assigned by other law firms, etc., are subject to the confidentiality rules included in Ethical Rule 1.6 of the Arizona rules of Professional Conduct and a similar provision located in the CLS Policies and Procedures Manual, Part III. This rule requires any of the above-listed persons to keep any client or client identifying information confidential during their affiliation with Community Legal Services and forever into the future, subject only to the limited exclusions located in Rule 1.6.
Examples of confidentiality include, but are not limited to:
1. Refrain from discussing with anyone not employed by CLS any client matters, client names, or the fact that a person has come to CLS for assistance.
2. Ensure that client confidentiality is maintained by conducting eligibility and intake interviews in a private space.
3. Protect confidential documents from inadvertent disclosure to persons not a member of the office (i.e. custodial staff or others).
4. Use the CLS client identifier number instead of the client’s name on check requests, forms or Westlaw requests.
5. Avoid conflicts with clients' interests caused by personal interests, former employment, or family relationships.
6. Avoid engaging in any conduct that could be viewed as the unauthorized practice of law. Support staff should identify themselves as non-lawyers unable to give legal advice without the supervision of an attorney.