Communication with Government Agency Represented by Counsel
Model Rule 4.2 generally protects represented government entities from unconsented contacts by opposing counsel, with an important exception based on the constitutional right to petition and the derivative public policy of ensuring a citizen's right of access to government decision makers. Thus Rule 4.2 permits a lawyer representing a private party in a controversy with the government to communicate about the matter with government officials who have authority to take or to recommend action in the matter, provided that the sole purpose of the lawyer's communication is to address a policy issue, including settling the controversy. In such a situation the lawyer must give government counsel reasonable advance notice of his intent to communicate with such officials, to afford an opportunity for consultation between government counsel and the officials on the advisability of their entertaining the communication. In situations where the right to petition has no apparent applicability, either because of the position and authority of the official sought to be contacted or because of the purpose of the proposed communication, Rule 4.2 prohibits communication without prior consent of government counsel. ABA Informal Opinion 1377 (1977) is limited to the extent of the conclusions in this opinion.
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