To The Legal: 

Attorney Samuel Stretton’s criticism of the proposed amendment to Pennsylvania Rule of Professional Conduct 1.8 to permit lawyers to give small gifts to indigent/pro bono clients in limited circumstance misses the mark. In the Aug. 31, 2021, “Ethics Forum,” attorney Stretton criticizes the proposed rule, stating that “Unless there is some good reason that can be supported by a study or statistical evidence, there is no reason to change Rule 1.8.” Had he simply searched for “aba report on model rule 1.8 amendment” on Google, attorney Stretton would have discovered the extensive background behind the proposal, including the report accompanying the proposal when it was submitted to and overwhelmingly approved by the American Bar Association House of Delegates in August 2020.