Carole J. Buckner

Carole J. Buckner is of counsel at Wilson Elser. She began practicing law in the area of professional responsibility in 2010 after being invited to teach Professional Responsibility as a law school professor six years earlier.

California State Bar’s Committee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct (COPRAC) for six years while the California Rules of Professional Conduct were being revised. Buckner has worked as an expert witness on legal malpractice matters and fee disputes, as a fee dispute arbitrator, and has advised lawyers on State Bar discipline matters, as well as handling legal malpractice defense, disqualification and sanctions issues, compliance and risk management.

Many of the matters Buckner handles are confidential. She often advises lawyers and law firms regarding compliance and risk management issues. She also advises lawyers on State Bar matters, including State Bar investigations.

“Each matter presents its own distinct challenges,” Buckner said. “Many times, with the submission of an appropriate response to the State Bar, an investigation is closed. In litigation involving legal malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty, mastering the merits of the underlying case and understanding the true consequences of the lawyer’s conduct typically puts clients in a position to resolve disputes with the assistance of skilled mediators.”