Former South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh once devised a way to steal money from his clients. Today, he’s a convicted killer and the subject of a continuing legal education seminar about his staggering downfall and how attorneys can avoid the same tragic missteps.
Not that many lawyers would find themselves losing their footing on the same slippery slope as Murdaugh, who went from defrauding clients of millions of dollars to murdering his wife and son. But the case contains lessons every attorney needs to learn, says Sharon Stuart, architect of a new CLE about Murdaugh.
“I thought it would be interesting to discuss what led to this fascinating case, cover the crimes and rule violations Murdaugh committed, and explore the ethics issues surrounding it,” Stuart explains.
A Lifetime miniseries starring Bill Pullman as Murdaugh, a two-season Netflix documentary and a multitude of legal commentators have plumbed the sordid depths of Murdaugh’s case, which ended with him shooting his family members to draw attention away from his financial crimes. Or so claimed prosecutor Creighton Waters during his closing argument in the disgraced lawyer’s murder trial.
Nevertheless, Stuart has developed a CLE that not only conveys the facts of the case and the lessons it offers but is also fashioned to inspire fresh discussion about its ramifications.
Taking place Wednesday, Nov. 6 from 1:30-4:30 p.m. at Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, “Low Country Ethics: Lessons from the Murdaugh Saga” will conclude with a three-judge panel that will discuss what lawyers who observe activities like those in which Murdaugh was engaging need to do to bring the conduct to the attention of the state bar before it becomes a problem.
“The judges will discuss the rules Murdaugh flaunted, how he violated them, and how he avoided being caught for so long,” says Stuart. “They’ll also discuss the ethical implications of other lawyers either participating in or turning a blind eye to what was happening. Lastly, they’ll share examples of reported cases or decisions in Chattanooga or Tennessee that bring these ideas closer to home.
“These things could happen anywhere,” says Stuart, “and they make for a great CLE.”
The panelists will include Senior U.S. District Judge Curtis Collier, Tennessee Criminal Court of Appeals Judge Tom Greenholtz and Hamilton County Criminal Court Judge Amanda Dunn.
Before the panel, Board of Professional Responsibility Chief Disciplinary Counsel Sandy Garrett will use the Murdaugh case as a launching point for providing an update on the Tennessee disciplinary process. Stuart will follow with a presentation covering the facts of the situation.
“We’ve excavated some interesting facts that maybe didn’t make the press,” Stuart says. “Even if someone has watched the documentaries, listened to the podcasts and combed through the trial, there are many interesting things about this case that maybe didn’t make the news, and a lot of those go to the heart of the ethical issues. So, there’ll be a lot of new and interesting things for lawyers who haven’t had the time to study the case on their own.”
Attorneys will earn three dual hour CLE credits for attending the seminar, which costs $100 for members of the Chattanooga Bar Association and $150 for non-members. Register at www.chattanoogabar.org/cle-seminars to attend.
Stuart is president and claims counsel of Attorneys Insurance Mutual of the South, the attorney-owned legal professional liability company that’s sponsoring the Murdaugh CLE.
“We were formed during the insurance crisis of the late 1980s, when commercial insurance carriers were dropping their insureds and leaving lawyers with no coverage in the middle of a coverage term,” Stuart explains. “It was a bad situation for lawyers, especially solo and small firm attorneys. We formed originally out of the Alabama State Bar and then began writing in Tennessee in 2011.
“We’re here as lawyers for lawyers. We pride ourselves on picking up the phone when you call and on providing an excellent product at a reasonable price. If you call with a claim, I’m the one who’ll answer the phone and, with your consent, assign an attorney.”
Send questions about the CLE to CBA Executive Director Lynda Hood at lhood@chattanoogabar.org.