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The Pennsylvania Bar Association and the Philadelphia Bar Association have recently endorsed CNA as a professional liability insurance carrier.  CNA offers some useful legal malpractice avoidance materials.  One of the nice materials CNA has put together is a “Lawyers’ Toolkit: A Guide to Managing the Attorney-Client Relationship.”  This package includes a number of sample documents including engagement agreements, a non-engagement/declination letter, conflict of interest waivers, and a closing matter/disengagement letter.  CNA also publishes Professional Counsel, a newsletter published semi-annually, with each issue delving in depth into areas of concern for professional liability avoidance.  Recent editions of Professional Counsel have dealt with avoiding problematic clients, preventing problems in pro bono representations, and the risk of a lawyer serving as director of a corporate client.  CNA also has several risk control checklists, guides, and practice aids on its website.  Among the checklists are a file opening and closing checklist and a cloud vendor checklist.  Naturally, as with any other checklists or toolkits, these materials will not prevent all professional liability risks, however, they can help serve as a guide to best practices in managing a law practice. -Josh J.T. Byrne, Esquire