I always warn my students about how dangerous regulatory law can be, even for lawyers, in the United States. Here is its latest victim: a law school graduate who is still clerking has been indicted for his role in the bankruptcy of former mega-law firm Dewey Lebeouf, for stuff he may have done before he even was a lawyer! In fact, he was a bill collector making $40,000. I really can't figure out what he is being charged with, and at best it sounds like the prosecutor got mad at him for not giving them the answers they wanted - and granted more details may come out soon and obviously at trial.
The real lesson for me is that sadly, once again, the old adage of never talk to the cops or prosecutors without your lawyer present (remember Martha Stewart) seems to be reinforced, at least for the US.
While in Canada, I haven't seen anything to warrant that lesson (yet), our Supreme Court's jurisprudence on when a lawyer can be present with a suspect may lead us down to the path above. I hope not.
