NALSC Code of Ethics

PREAMBLE

The National Association of Legal Search Consultants (NALSC) is committed to the provision of professional and ethical attorney placement services to the legal community. To that end, its members have established this Code of Ethics, subscribed to and endorsed by all as conditions of his or her continuing membership.

ARTICLE I

Relations With Employers

  1. Information provided to employers shall be the most accurate information known to the search firm.
  2. No search firm shall withhold candidate information, which the employer would reasonably consider essential to its hiring decision.
  3. Candidates shall be referred only (i) with prior authorization of the employer or (ii) where the search firm, based on previous direct communication with the employer, reasonably believes the employer would accept the referral.
  4. Confidential information relating to the employer shall be treated accordingly.
  5. Fee obligations and replacement and refund provisions, if any, shall be provided to the employer prior to the referral of candidates.
  6. No search firm shall recruit any attorney from the office of an employer in which it has made a placement for a six-month period following that placement, unless the search firm reasonably believes such a restriction is not required by the employer.
  7. No search firm shall recruit a candidate it has placed while that candidate remains with the employer that paid the recruiting fee.

ARTICLE II

Relations With Candidates

  1. Information provided to candidates shall be the most accurate information known to the search firm.
  2. No search firm shall withhold employer information, which a candidate would reasonably consider essential to his or her hiring decision, subject to the search firm’s duties to the employer.
  3. Candidates shall be referred to employers only with the candidates’ express prior consent.
  4. A search firm shall treat as confidential all information supplied to it in confidence by a candidate, subject to the search firm’s duties to the employer.
  5. Search firms shall make all referrals, which have been authorized by the candidate and shall inform the candidate of the results of those referrals in a timely manner.
  6. No search firm shall attempt to exert undue influence on the candidate.

ARTICLE III

Relations Among Members

  1. Members of this Association shall relate to each other in a professional and ethical manner consistent with the goals of this Association.
  2. While competition among search firms is encouraged, no member shall seek an unfair advantage against its competitors.
  3. Except for fee-sharing agreements between search firms, no member shall make payments of any kind to gain business referrals or to induce others into a relationship as a client or candidate.
  4. Members shall recognize and not interfere with referrals made by other search firms.
  5. Members are strongly encouraged to bring to the attention of the Association any violation of this Code.
  6. Members shall not commence lawsuits against other members, but shall arbitrate any disputes with other members arising out of their activities in the legal search profession, in accordance with the by-laws of the Association. In addition, members are encouraged to mediate such disputes before commencing arbitration.

ARTICLE IV

General

  1. No member of this Association shall engage in any action, which might bring the Association, its members or the legal search profession into disrepute.
  2. No search firm shall make false or deceptive claims in any advertising, promotion or public relations materials.
  3. No member shall discriminate in the provision of its services on the basis race, creed, color, national origin, religion, sex, marital status, handicap, age or any other legally proscribed criteria.
  4. Complaints under this Code shall be in writing, signed by the initiating party and filed with the President of the Association.
  5. Members shall cooperate with the Association’s investigation of alleged Violations of this Code and shall abide by its decisions.
  6. Sanctions for violation of this Code, which include censure, suspension and expulsion from the Association, as well as procedures for hearings and appeals, are provided for in the Association’s Bylaws.
  7. This Code neither supersedes nor replaces the requirements of local, state, or federal laws.