Page 1 of 76
LJU4802 EXAM WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS DETAILED
RATIONALES GRADED A+
LJU4802: PROFESSIONAL ETHICS — EXAM TEST BANK
SECTION 1: FOUNDATIONAL CONCEPTS: PROFESSION vs. BUSINESS, LEGAL ETHICS &
PROFESSIONALISM (Questions 1–25)
1. The term "profession" is derived from the Latin word "professio." What does this term
mean?
A. A paid occupation
B. A public statement or promise
C. A trade secret
D. A business contract
Rationale: The Latin root "professio" implies a public declaration or vow. In the legal context,
this signifies a commitment to public service and ethical standards beyond mere commercial
gain.
2. Which of the following best describes legal ethics in its narrow professional sense?
A. The study of all philosophical theories concerning morality
B. The study of criminal offences committed by legal practitioners
C. The standards and principles governing the professional conduct of legal practitioners
D. The study of constitutional rights independently of professional conduct
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Rationale: In its narrow sense, legal ethics concerns the professional standards that regulate
how lawyers should conduct themselves. These standards address duties to clients, courts,
colleagues, the profession, and the administration of justice.
3. Which of the following is a key difference between a profession (like law) and a
business/trade?
A. Focus on maximizing shareholder profit
B. Reliance on advertising to generate sales
C. Commitment to promoting the basic good of justice in society
D. Emphasis on aggressive competition with rivals
Rationale: A profession such as law is not merely a commercial occupation. Legal practitioners
exercise specialised knowledge and occupy positions of public trust. Their professional
responsibilities extend beyond personal financial gain and include duties connected with justice,
the rule of law, clients, courts, and society.
4. According to the UNISA Tutorial Letter for LJU4802, professional legal practitioners, such as
attorneys, are:
A. Merely businesspeople like any other entrepreneur
B. Members of a learned profession who owe duties to the court, their clients, and society at
large
C. Independent contractors with no public obligations
D. Employees of the state
Rationale: The Tutorial Letter states that professional legal practitioners are not merely
businesspeople; they are members of a learned profession who owe duties to the court, their
clients, and society at large.
5. What does the Latin maxim "professio" signify in the context of the legal profession?
A. A commitment to public service and ethical standards beyond mere commercial gain
B. A commitment to maximizing profit
C. A commitment to winning every case
D. A commitment to avoiding all risks
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,Page 3 of 76
Rationale: The Latin root "professio" implies a public declaration or vow. In the legal context,
this signifies a commitment to public service and ethical standards beyond mere commercial
gain.
6. Which of the following is NOT one of the principal purposes served by a professional code
of legal ethics?
A. To establish standards of professional conduct
B. To protect the public from misconduct or incompetence
C. To guarantee that every lawyer wins a majority of cases
D. To preserve confidence in the legal profession
Rationale: Professional codes establish standards against which professional behaviour can be
assessed. They help protect clients and the public from misconduct or incompetence and
preserve confidence in the legal profession. A code does not guarantee litigation success.
7. A lawyer argues that professional success should be measured primarily by financial
income and personal prestige. Which fundamental feature of a profession does this approach
most directly overlook?
A. The ability to establish a private practice
B. The right to charge professional fees
C. The competitive nature of legal services
D. The profession's obligation to serve justice and the public interest
Rationale: A profession such as law is not merely a commercial occupation. Legal practitioners
exercise specialised knowledge and occupy positions of public trust. Their professional
responsibilities extend beyond personal financial gain and include duties connected with justice,
the rule of law, clients, courts, and society.
8. According to Kronman, which of the following statements best reflects his criticism of
lawyers who prioritise wealth and prestige?
A. Wealth and prestige are essential for professional success
B. Prioritising wealth and prestige promotes selfishness and poses a danger to the profession
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C. Wealth and prestige are the only measures of professional achievement
D. Wealth and prestige should be the primary goals of every legal practitioner
Rationale: Kronman asserts that becoming a lawyer is not about "wealth or prestige." He argues
that the idea that legal practitioners strive for wealth and prestige underpins selfishness among
professionals. Where prestige and wealth are of greater concern, the legal practitioner has lost
the true essence of becoming one and poses a danger to the profession.
9. In the case of Law Society of the Cape of Good Hope v C, the court held that legal practice
is:
A. A business in the commercial sense
B. Not a business in the commercial sense and must be distinguished from trades where
services are sold purely for profit
C. A trade like any other
D. Purely a profit-making enterprise
Rationale: In Law Society of the Cape of Good Hope v C, the court held that legal practice is not
a business in the commercial sense and must be distinguished from trades where services are
sold purely for profit.
10. Which of the following is a key characteristic that distinguishes a profession from an
ordinary job?
A. The ability to charge fees
B. The requirement of specialised intellectual knowledge and skills before admission
C. The need to work long hours
D. The ability to advertise services
Rationale: What distinguishes legal practitioners from any other business person is that legal
practitioners are obliged to demonstrate "specialised intellectual knowledge and skills" before
admission to the profession.
11. According to the study guide, the term "profession" is derived from the Latin "professio,"
which implies:
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LJU4802 EXAM WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS DETAILED
RATIONALES GRADED A+
LJU4802: PROFESSIONAL ETHICS — EXAM TEST BANK
SECTION 1: FOUNDATIONAL CONCEPTS: PROFESSION vs. BUSINESS, LEGAL ETHICS &
PROFESSIONALISM (Questions 1–25)
1. The term "profession" is derived from the Latin word "professio." What does this term
mean?
A. A paid occupation
B. A public statement or promise
C. A trade secret
D. A business contract
Rationale: The Latin root "professio" implies a public declaration or vow. In the legal context,
this signifies a commitment to public service and ethical standards beyond mere commercial
gain.
2. Which of the following best describes legal ethics in its narrow professional sense?
A. The study of all philosophical theories concerning morality
B. The study of criminal offences committed by legal practitioners
C. The standards and principles governing the professional conduct of legal practitioners
D. The study of constitutional rights independently of professional conduct
1|Page
,Page 2 of 76
Rationale: In its narrow sense, legal ethics concerns the professional standards that regulate
how lawyers should conduct themselves. These standards address duties to clients, courts,
colleagues, the profession, and the administration of justice.
3. Which of the following is a key difference between a profession (like law) and a
business/trade?
A. Focus on maximizing shareholder profit
B. Reliance on advertising to generate sales
C. Commitment to promoting the basic good of justice in society
D. Emphasis on aggressive competition with rivals
Rationale: A profession such as law is not merely a commercial occupation. Legal practitioners
exercise specialised knowledge and occupy positions of public trust. Their professional
responsibilities extend beyond personal financial gain and include duties connected with justice,
the rule of law, clients, courts, and society.
4. According to the UNISA Tutorial Letter for LJU4802, professional legal practitioners, such as
attorneys, are:
A. Merely businesspeople like any other entrepreneur
B. Members of a learned profession who owe duties to the court, their clients, and society at
large
C. Independent contractors with no public obligations
D. Employees of the state
Rationale: The Tutorial Letter states that professional legal practitioners are not merely
businesspeople; they are members of a learned profession who owe duties to the court, their
clients, and society at large.
5. What does the Latin maxim "professio" signify in the context of the legal profession?
A. A commitment to public service and ethical standards beyond mere commercial gain
B. A commitment to maximizing profit
C. A commitment to winning every case
D. A commitment to avoiding all risks
2|Page
,Page 3 of 76
Rationale: The Latin root "professio" implies a public declaration or vow. In the legal context,
this signifies a commitment to public service and ethical standards beyond mere commercial
gain.
6. Which of the following is NOT one of the principal purposes served by a professional code
of legal ethics?
A. To establish standards of professional conduct
B. To protect the public from misconduct or incompetence
C. To guarantee that every lawyer wins a majority of cases
D. To preserve confidence in the legal profession
Rationale: Professional codes establish standards against which professional behaviour can be
assessed. They help protect clients and the public from misconduct or incompetence and
preserve confidence in the legal profession. A code does not guarantee litigation success.
7. A lawyer argues that professional success should be measured primarily by financial
income and personal prestige. Which fundamental feature of a profession does this approach
most directly overlook?
A. The ability to establish a private practice
B. The right to charge professional fees
C. The competitive nature of legal services
D. The profession's obligation to serve justice and the public interest
Rationale: A profession such as law is not merely a commercial occupation. Legal practitioners
exercise specialised knowledge and occupy positions of public trust. Their professional
responsibilities extend beyond personal financial gain and include duties connected with justice,
the rule of law, clients, courts, and society.
8. According to Kronman, which of the following statements best reflects his criticism of
lawyers who prioritise wealth and prestige?
A. Wealth and prestige are essential for professional success
B. Prioritising wealth and prestige promotes selfishness and poses a danger to the profession
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, Page 4 of 76
C. Wealth and prestige are the only measures of professional achievement
D. Wealth and prestige should be the primary goals of every legal practitioner
Rationale: Kronman asserts that becoming a lawyer is not about "wealth or prestige." He argues
that the idea that legal practitioners strive for wealth and prestige underpins selfishness among
professionals. Where prestige and wealth are of greater concern, the legal practitioner has lost
the true essence of becoming one and poses a danger to the profession.
9. In the case of Law Society of the Cape of Good Hope v C, the court held that legal practice
is:
A. A business in the commercial sense
B. Not a business in the commercial sense and must be distinguished from trades where
services are sold purely for profit
C. A trade like any other
D. Purely a profit-making enterprise
Rationale: In Law Society of the Cape of Good Hope v C, the court held that legal practice is not
a business in the commercial sense and must be distinguished from trades where services are
sold purely for profit.
10. Which of the following is a key characteristic that distinguishes a profession from an
ordinary job?
A. The ability to charge fees
B. The requirement of specialised intellectual knowledge and skills before admission
C. The need to work long hours
D. The ability to advertise services
Rationale: What distinguishes legal practitioners from any other business person is that legal
practitioners are obliged to demonstrate "specialised intellectual knowledge and skills" before
admission to the profession.
11. According to the study guide, the term "profession" is derived from the Latin "professio,"
which implies:
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