NCBE Multistate Professional
Responsibilityination Practice Exam
**Question 1.** A jurisdiction requires that an applicant for admission disclose
any disciplinary action taken against them in any jurisdiction. The applicant fails to
disclose a public reprimand from another state. Which rule is most directly
violated?
A) Duty of competence
B) Duty of candor to the tribunal
C) Duty of honesty in the admission process
D) Duty to report professional misconduct
Answer: C
Explanation: The Model Rules of Professional Conduct require full honesty and
candor in the bar admission process; failure to disclose disciplinary history violates
this duty.
**Question 2.** An attorney licensed in State A wishes to appear briefly in State B
to file a lawsuit for a client who lives in State B. Which of the following is the most
appropriate way to proceed?
A) Practice pro hac vice without any local counsel
B) Associate with a local attorney and file a motion for admission pro hac vice
C) Appear as “in-house counsel” without a local lawyer
D) Practice in State B because the matter is temporary
Answer: B
, NCBE Multistate Professional
Responsibilityination Practice Exam
Explanation: To practice in a jurisdiction where the lawyer is not licensed, the
attorney must associate with local counsel and seek admission pro hac vice.
**Question 3.** A law firm hires a paralegal to draft pleadings under the
supervision of an attorney. Which statement best reflects the supervising lawyer’s
ethical responsibility?
A) The lawyer is not responsible for the paralegal’s work because the paralegal is
not a lawyer.
B) The lawyer must review the paralegal’s work for accuracy and compliance with
the Rules.
C) The lawyer may delegate any task to the paralegal without review.
D) The lawyer must personally draft all pleadings.
Answer: B
Explanation: Rule 5.3 requires supervising lawyers to make reasonable efforts to
ensure that nonlawyer assistants’ conduct is compatible with the Rules, including
reviewing their work.
**Question 4.** An attorney learns that a fellow lawyer in the same firm has been
embezzling client funds. The attorney’s best course of action is to:
A) Ignore the misconduct because it is a private matter.
B) Report the misconduct to the appropriate disciplinary authority.
C) Confront the lawyer and demand restitution, but not report.
, NCBE Multistate Professional
Responsibilityination Practice Exam
D) Wait until the lawyer is disciplined by the firm’s internal committee.
Answer: B
Explanation: Rule 8.3 imposes a duty to report known violations of the Rules of
Professional Conduct by another lawyer.
**Question 5.** A lawyer’s client asks the lawyer to conceal a material fact from
the court. The lawyer should:
A) Follow the client’s instructions because the client controls the representation.
B) Refuse and disclose the fact to the court.
C) Withdraw from representation without revealing the client’s request.
D) Advise the client of the duty of candor and, if the client persists, withdraw.
Answer: D
Explanation: The lawyer must counsel the client about the duty of candor; if the
client insists on violating the duty, the lawyer must withdraw.
**Question 6.** Which of the following best describes the lawyer’s duty of
communication to the client?
A) The lawyer must inform the client of every possible outcome of the case.
B) The lawyer must keep the client reasonably informed about the status of the
matter.
, NCBE Multistate Professional
Responsibilityination Practice Exam
C) The lawyer may withhold information if it would cause the client anxiety.
D) The lawyer only needs to communicate at the request of the client.
Answer: B
Explanation: Rule 1.4 requires lawyers to keep clients reasonably informed about
the status of the matter and promptly comply with reasonable requests for
information.
**Question 7.** A client tells the attorney that they want to settle the case for
$50,000, but the attorney believes the client could obtain $100,000. The attorney
should:
A) Accept the client’s settlement demand without objection.
B) Advise the client of the risks and benefits of settlement versus continued
litigation.
C) Reject the settlement and proceed to trial without consulting the client.
D) Settle for $75,000 as a compromise.
Answer: B
Explanation: The lawyer must provide competent advice about the objectives
(client’s decision) and the means (lawyer’s strategy), allowing the client to make
an informed decision.
Responsibilityination Practice Exam
**Question 1.** A jurisdiction requires that an applicant for admission disclose
any disciplinary action taken against them in any jurisdiction. The applicant fails to
disclose a public reprimand from another state. Which rule is most directly
violated?
A) Duty of competence
B) Duty of candor to the tribunal
C) Duty of honesty in the admission process
D) Duty to report professional misconduct
Answer: C
Explanation: The Model Rules of Professional Conduct require full honesty and
candor in the bar admission process; failure to disclose disciplinary history violates
this duty.
**Question 2.** An attorney licensed in State A wishes to appear briefly in State B
to file a lawsuit for a client who lives in State B. Which of the following is the most
appropriate way to proceed?
A) Practice pro hac vice without any local counsel
B) Associate with a local attorney and file a motion for admission pro hac vice
C) Appear as “in-house counsel” without a local lawyer
D) Practice in State B because the matter is temporary
Answer: B
, NCBE Multistate Professional
Responsibilityination Practice Exam
Explanation: To practice in a jurisdiction where the lawyer is not licensed, the
attorney must associate with local counsel and seek admission pro hac vice.
**Question 3.** A law firm hires a paralegal to draft pleadings under the
supervision of an attorney. Which statement best reflects the supervising lawyer’s
ethical responsibility?
A) The lawyer is not responsible for the paralegal’s work because the paralegal is
not a lawyer.
B) The lawyer must review the paralegal’s work for accuracy and compliance with
the Rules.
C) The lawyer may delegate any task to the paralegal without review.
D) The lawyer must personally draft all pleadings.
Answer: B
Explanation: Rule 5.3 requires supervising lawyers to make reasonable efforts to
ensure that nonlawyer assistants’ conduct is compatible with the Rules, including
reviewing their work.
**Question 4.** An attorney learns that a fellow lawyer in the same firm has been
embezzling client funds. The attorney’s best course of action is to:
A) Ignore the misconduct because it is a private matter.
B) Report the misconduct to the appropriate disciplinary authority.
C) Confront the lawyer and demand restitution, but not report.
, NCBE Multistate Professional
Responsibilityination Practice Exam
D) Wait until the lawyer is disciplined by the firm’s internal committee.
Answer: B
Explanation: Rule 8.3 imposes a duty to report known violations of the Rules of
Professional Conduct by another lawyer.
**Question 5.** A lawyer’s client asks the lawyer to conceal a material fact from
the court. The lawyer should:
A) Follow the client’s instructions because the client controls the representation.
B) Refuse and disclose the fact to the court.
C) Withdraw from representation without revealing the client’s request.
D) Advise the client of the duty of candor and, if the client persists, withdraw.
Answer: D
Explanation: The lawyer must counsel the client about the duty of candor; if the
client insists on violating the duty, the lawyer must withdraw.
**Question 6.** Which of the following best describes the lawyer’s duty of
communication to the client?
A) The lawyer must inform the client of every possible outcome of the case.
B) The lawyer must keep the client reasonably informed about the status of the
matter.
, NCBE Multistate Professional
Responsibilityination Practice Exam
C) The lawyer may withhold information if it would cause the client anxiety.
D) The lawyer only needs to communicate at the request of the client.
Answer: B
Explanation: Rule 1.4 requires lawyers to keep clients reasonably informed about
the status of the matter and promptly comply with reasonable requests for
information.
**Question 7.** A client tells the attorney that they want to settle the case for
$50,000, but the attorney believes the client could obtain $100,000. The attorney
should:
A) Accept the client’s settlement demand without objection.
B) Advise the client of the risks and benefits of settlement versus continued
litigation.
C) Reject the settlement and proceed to trial without consulting the client.
D) Settle for $75,000 as a compromise.
Answer: B
Explanation: The lawyer must provide competent advice about the objectives
(client’s decision) and the means (lawyer’s strategy), allowing the client to make
an informed decision.
