Under accepting or rejecting cases, which is true?

• A. A lawyer may reject any case before engagement.
• B. A lawyer must accept every case to avoid discrimination.
• C. A lawyer should only accept cases involving defendants with large income.
• D. A lawyer should never consider pro bono work.

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that lawyers have discretion over whom they represent. Before agreeing to take on a matter, a lawyer may decide not to accept a case for any number of legitimate reasons—conflicts of interest, lack of competence in the specific area, ethical concerns, or simply because the workload wouldn’t permit proper representation. This is a normal and permitted part of practicing law, so the statement that a lawyer may reject a case before engagement is true.

The other statements aren’t correct because they suggest obligations or restrictions that don’t exist in this context. Lawyers aren’t required to accept every client or case, and decisions aren’t supposed to be driven by income level. Pro bono work can be considered and is often encouraged, but there’s no rule that a lawyer must always avoid it or that it must be avoided for all cases.