A comprehensive guide for lawyers bringing or defending legal malpractice claims in the District of Columbia, as well as a source of practical guidance for lawyers on how to prevent legal malpractice claims and meet their ethical obligations
Legal malpractice litigation requires strict adherence to standards, rules, and limitations unique to this area of professional liability law. District of Columbia Legal Malpractice Law serves as a practical guide for lawyers pursuing or defending attorney malpractice claims in Washington, D.C., while also helping practitioners understand how to prevent attorney negligence and meet their ethical duties. This resource is designed for legal malpractice attorneys, professionals focused on attorney discipline, and anyone addressing law firm liability or attorney professional liability concerns in the District of Columbia.
The book explains the foundations of lawyer malpractice actions, including conflicts of interest, common claim elements, defenses, and issues tied to the District of Columbia's distinctive legal malpractice law. It also explores partnership liability, risks in law firm management, D.C. attorney negligence exposure, D.C. bar professional responsibility requirements, and key ethics considerations for trial lawyers. Additional topics covered include sanctions, attorney discipline procedures, and related professional rules.
The eBook format includes hyperlinks to cases, code, rules, statutes and other sources cited in the book.
The 2026 edition of District of Columbia Legal Malpractice Law includes the seminal cases decided in the last two years relating to the necessary elements of a legal malpractice claim, such as the scope of duty owed to clients and non-clients, plus case law updates including:
Defenses to a D.C. legal malpractice claim, including the use of motions to dismiss, Rule 11 motions, the requirement for proximate cause, and the impact of favorable settlements on the merits of a malpractice claim
New discussion of issues such as using experts to establish the standard of care, disqualification motions, the authority of courts to regulate D.C. attorneys for conduct that occurs outside of the jurisdiction, and the treatment of unearned fees from a client
Analysis of cutting-edge ethical and technology issues facing D.C. attorneys, including the ethics of relying on generative artificial intelligence and the duty of competence with regard to evolving technology
Alanna G. Clair is a partner at Dentons US LLP. Her practice focuses on professional liability and law firm defense, as well as the defense of insurers through coverage or bad faith litigation. Alanna is currently the co-chair of the Attorneys’ Liability Subcommittee of the ABA’s Professional Liability Litigation Section, which focuses on issues unique to litigators who prosecute or defend claims against attorneys and other professionals, and is also a member of the CLE Committee for the ABA’s Center for Professional Responsibility.
Alanna writes and lectures frequently on issues of professional liability. She is also the co-author of The Lawyer’s Handbook: Ethics Compliance and Claim Avoidance (2013) and several recent editions of Georgia Legal Malpractice Law. In 2020, she was named one of the National Law Journal’s “40 Under 40,” and in 2022, she was named one of Law360’s “Rising Stars” in the area of Insurance. In 2025, she was named a “Hero of Child Justice” for her years of pro bono work defending children from abuse.
Shari L. Klevens
Shari L. Klevens is a partner at Dentons US LLP. She represents lawyers and law firms in the defense of legal malpractice claims and advises and counsels lawyers and partnerships concerning claims for malpractice, ethical violations, and breaches of duty. Shari is the co-chair of the global Insurance sector team for Dentons and is a frequent writer and lecturer on issues related to legal malpractice. Shari also litigates complex commercial cases in state and federal trial and appellate courts across the country. Shari is former Chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Lawyers’ Professional Liability.
She has authored or co-authored three other books: Georgia Legal Malpractice Law (1st ed. 2011), The Lawyer’s Handbook: Ethics Compliance and Claim Avoidance (2013), and California Legal Malpractice Law (2015). Shari received the 2020 Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) Rainmaker Award, was recognized by Legal Aid Chicago as a 2022 Volunteer of the Year, and was recognized by The American Lawyer Industry Awards as a finalist for Best Mentor: Law Firm. She was recognized as North America Insurance & Reinsurance Lawyer of the Year in 2025 by the Legal Benchmarking Group as part of its annual Women in Business Law Americas Awards. Shari is also ranked by Chambers USA in the area of Insurance: Insurer, listed as a Legal 500 Recommended Lawyer in the area of Insurance Advice to Insurers, and is listed by Best Lawyers in America for Litigation-Insurance and Insurance Law.