nonengagement letter
A letter written by an attorney to an individual who has had a conference
with the attorney stating that the conference did not produce an agreement to
represent the individual in a given case or matter. Attorneys sometimes write
nonengagement letters following an initial conference because there have been
cases in which individuals have sued lawyers for failure to represent their
interests following such conferences. This is despite the fact that a formal
attorney-client relationship never existed. The purpose of the letter is to
indicate that the conference was only to explore the basic facts of a case,
but that at the end of the conference, it was agreed by both parties that the
attorney would not represent the individual.
Links for IRMI Online Subscribers Only:
PLI XIV.C