Attorneys may want to serve as on a board of directors for an outside organization to engage in their community, support a cause of personal interest or develop certain business skills and relationships. Similarly, outside organizations may seek attorneys for their boards to gain connections within the business community and valuable judgment in complex situations.  

Although such service is commonplace, there can be risks. Imagine an attorney on a board for a company supporting a green initiative in the community. That initiative could advocate for policies that are opposed by other companies in the area, including some clients of the attorney’s law firm. The attorney may then receive a call from firm management, saying that a client of the law firm is furious that “their” law firm is involved in this initiative. Although such service would not necessarily constitute a legal conflict of interest, it could frustrate the attorney and ruffle feathers of firm clients or colleagues.