Law Office of Carol M. Langford

Law Firm Overview

In her current practice, Adjunct Professor Carol M. Langford specializes in legal ethics and State Bar disciplinary and admissions matters. She provided advice to attorneys, judges, law firms, and corporations. She also serves as a national for the State Bar of California and served as Chair of the California Committee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct, the Law Practice Management and Technology Committee and the Council of Section Chairs. She was also Chair of the Ethics Committee of the Intellectual Property Section of the American Bar Association.

She was formerly a partner at Carroll, Burdick & McDonough, where she was the ethics advisor to the firm and a member of the New Business Committee. She is the co-author of the nationally adopted textbook Legal Ethics in the Practice of Law (Lexis Publishing, third Edition 2007), and the book The Moral Compass of the American Lawyer: Truth, Justice, Power & Greed (Ballantine, 1999). Ms. Langford was presented with the Woman of the Year Award for Women Who Seek Justice in 2004, the Howard Lichtenstein Distinguished Professorship of Legal Ethics Award in 2007 and Adjunct of the Year Award at USF in 2009. She teaches professional responsibility the University of San Francisco School of Law and the University of California Hastings College of the Law. She will be teaching at the University of California Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law in 2011.

Areas of Practice

• State Bar Defense 40%
• Committee of Bar Examiners/Admissions  30%
• Legal Malpractice Expert Witness 20%
• Medical, Nursing, Real Estate 10%
• Licensing Issues

Honors and Awards

• Adjunct Professor of the Year, University of San Francisco School of Law, 2009
• Liechtenstein Distinguished Professorship of Legal Ethics, Hofstra University Law School, Hempstead, New York, November 7, 2007
• Woman of the Year Senate Award for Women Who Seek Justice, 2004
• Women Helping Women Award, Soroptimist International, 2002
• John F. Kennedy Volunteer Appreciation Award, Lawyer in the Library, 2001 - 2007
• Outstanding Volunteer of the Year, Bar Association of San Francisco, 1997
• Outstanding Volunteer of the Year, Bar Association of San Francisco, 1998
• Wiley W. Manuel Award, Pro Bono Legal Services, State Bar of California, 1996

Published Works

• Barbarians at the Bar: Regulation of the Legal Profession through the Admissions Process, Hofstra Law Review, Winter, 2009
• Finding A Voice: The Legal Ethics Committee, Journal for the Institute for the Study of Legal Ethics, Spring, 2002
• "You're Outta Here!: Proposed Disqualification Standards for Texas Courts, South Texas Law School Journal, 2000
• Reflections on Confidentiality - A Practitioner's Response to Spaulding v. Zimmerman, Hofstra Law Conference Papers, Hofstra Law Review, Spring, 1998
• Ethical Currents, Contra Costa Lawyer, July, 2005
• Hot New Tips on How to Avoid a Legal Malpractice Lawsuit and State Bar Complaint, California Consumer Lawyer, 2006
• The Ethical Duty of a Lawyer To Be Prepared for a Natural Disaster, San Francisco Attorney, December, 1992
• The Ethical Duty of a Lawyer To Be Prepared for a Natural Disaster, San Francisco Attorney, 2005
• International Ethics: A Shanghi Surprise, State Bar Reporter, 2003
• Blinded by Science: The Art of Conflicts Checking in the Age of Technology, The Professional Lawyer, Winter, 2002
• Patently Conflicted: Conflicts of Interest in Patent Law, ABA Center for Professional Responsibility Symposium, Winter, 2002
• A Diogenic Search for an Ethical Mediator, Contra Costa County Bar Association, Spring, 2001
• When the State Bar Bugs You, California Litigation. Vol. 14, No. 1, 2001
• It Is Time to Question How Our Legal System Can Afford Secret Settlements, Voir Dire., Spring, 2000
• Attorney-Client Sieve, Recorder, (op. ed.), April, 1998
• Ethics in Ashes, California Lawyer, November, 1998
• Protecting Clients in the Wake of Disaster, Law Practice Management & Technology, Winter, 1998
• Ethics Issues in Representing Partnerships, California Lawyer, February, 1996
• Practicing Law on the "Right" Side of the Bay, California Lawyer, January, 1996
• An Ethics Rx for Your Practice, California Bar Journal, May, 1994
• Ethical Issues in Connection with Fee Agreements, Practicing Law Institute, January, 1994
• The Check Is in the Mail - The Ethical Duties of an Attorney When Enforcing Her Right to Fees After Discharge, Ethics Hotliner, Winter, 1993
• The Lawyer as Target: Building a Shield in the Post-Kaye, Scholer Era, California Litigation, Spring, 1993

Classes and Seminars

• Adjunct Professor, University of San Francisco School of Law, 1993 - Present
• Adjunct Professor, U.C. Hastings College of the Law, 1998 - Present

Pro Bono Activities

• Volunteer Attorney, Contra Costa County Public Defender's Office, 1990

West Practice Categories

Ethics & Professional Responsibility, Ethics, Professional Responsibility, Legal Malpractice