1990 Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct

RULE 1.11   Successive Government and Private Employment  Special Conflicts of Interest for Former and Current Government Officers and Employees [revisions to 1990 Rule are indicated as follows: text deleted from the 1990 Rule is shown by strikethrough; additions to the 1990 Rule are shown in red] )

(a)    Except as otherwise expressly permitted by law, a lawyer shall not represent a private client in connection with a matter in which the lawyer participated personally and substantially as a public officer or employee, unless the appropriate government agency consents after disclosure.  No lawyer in a firm with which that lawyer is associated and who knows or reasonably should know of the lawyer's prior participation may undertake or continue representation in such a matter unless:

(1)   the disqualified lawyer is screened from any participation in the matter and is apportioned no specific share of the fee therefrom; and

(2)   written notice is promptly given to the appropriate government agency to enable it to ascertain compliance with the provisions of Rule 1.11.

(a) Except as law may otherwise expressly permit, a lawyer who has formerly served as a public officer or employee of the government:

 

(1) is subject to Rule 1.9(c); and

 

(2) shall not otherwise represent a client in connection with a matter in which the lawyer participated personally and substantially as a public officer or employee, unless the appropriate government agency gives its informed consent to the representation.

(b) When a lawyer is disqualified from representation under paragraph (a), no lawyer in a firm with which that lawyer is associated may knowingly undertake or continue representation in such a matter unless:

 

(1) the disqualified lawyer is timely screened from any participation in the matter and is apportioned no part of the fee therefrom; and

 

(2) written notice is promptly given to the appropriate government agency to enable it to ascertain compliance with the provisions of this Rule.

(b) (c)   Except as otherwise permitted by law may otherwise expressly permit, a lawyer having information that the lawyer knows is confidential government information about a person, acquired when the lawyer was a public officer or employee, may not represent a private client whose interests are adverse to that person in a matter in which the information could be used to the material disadvantage of that person.  As used in this Rule, the term "confidential government information" means information that has been obtained under governmental authority and which, at the time this Rule is applied, the government is prohibited by law from disclosing to the public or has a legal privilege not to disclose and which is not otherwise available to the public.  A firm with which that lawyer is associated may undertake or continue representation in the matter only if the disqualified lawyer is timely screened from any participation in the matter and is apportioned no specific share part of the fee therefrom.

(c)  (d)   Except as law may otherwise expressly permitted by law, a lawyer currently serving as a public officer or employee: (1) is subject to Rules 1.7 and 1.9; and (2)  shall not:

(1) (i)   participate in a matter in which the lawyer participated personally and substantially while in private practice or nongovernmental employment, unless the appropriate government agency gives its informed consent; or under applicable law no one is, or by lawful delegation may be, authorized to act in the lawyer's stead in the matter; or

(2) (ii)   negotiate for private employment with any person who is involved as a party or as lawyer for a party in a matter in which the lawyer is participating personally or and substantially, except that a lawyer serving as a law clerk to a judge, other adjudicative officer or arbitrator may negotiate for private employment as permitted by Rule 1.12(b) and subject to the conditions stated in Rule 1.12(b).

(d)  (e) As used in this Rule 1.11, the term "matter" includes denotes:

(1)   any judicial or other proceeding, application, request for a ruling or other determination, contract, claim, controversy, investigation, charge, accusation, arrest offset or other particular matter involving a specific party or parties;, and

(2)   any other matter covered by the conflict of interest rules of the appropriate government agency.

(e)    As used in Rule 1.11, the term "confidential government information" denotes information which has been obtained under governmental authority and which, at the time Rule 1.11 is applied, the government is prohibited by law from revealing to the public or has a legal privilege not to reveal, and which is not otherwise available to the public.

Adopted February 8, 1990; effective August 1, 1990.