Foreword to the 2021 Villanova Law Review Norman J. Shachoy Symposium: Practical Ethics in Corporate Law: The Science, Instruction and “Real-World” Application

Abstract

The 2021 Norman J. Shachoy Symposium is, as far as we know, the first time that a U.S. law review has dedicated both a live symposium and follow-up printed issue to the compelling story of why business ethics are important for lawyers.

That is an astonishing statement to be making in the year 2021. Business ethics are a standard subject in business school, but it is a glaring oversight that we do not make studying business ethics common to law-school curricula, and what lawyers understand to be the core of their practices. This Foreword and Symposium hope to make us rethink the place of ethics in our relationship with businesses as clients, employers, and in every part of our practice.

Keywords: ethics, business ethics, law practice, legal practice, professionalism, clients, employers, partnerships, law firms, behavioral ethics, behavioral science

JEL Classification: K10, K19, K20, K22, K23, K30, K31, K39, K42, K49, I31, J44, J45, J46, J48, J49, J81, J83, J88, J89