Traps for the Unwary, the Massachusetts Bar Association’s award-winning malpractice prevention handbook, is the newest exclusive member benefit for the MBA’s 2021-22 association year. The expanded Seventh Edition is available now as an e-publication to anyone who has renewed for the upcoming association year.
Members who have already renewed can download their e-copy of Traps for the Unwary from their MBA profile. (See detailed instructions below.) If you haven’t renewed yet, we hope you will take a moment to renew today to ensure you get the earliest possible access to this exclusive member benefit. Once you renew, you will receive an email with instructions for how to access your e-copy.
Last published in 2011, Traps for the Unwary looks at some of the malpractice hazards for attorneys who practice in a general, civil practice. From dangers that arise in uncommon circumstances to hard-to-see risks that are masked by a complex matrix of laws and regulations, Traps for the Unwary is an indispensable reference tool that benefits both lawyer and client. The original Traps for the Unwary, published in 1988, earned a first place Award of Achievement from the American Bar Association for service to the bar.
The Seventh Edition of Traps for the Unwary updates citations and entries from the previous six editions and adds 50% more content across 18 chapters. One chapter alone includes 50 short statutes of limitations, plus 25 possible paths for relief from certain statutes of limitations. This new edition also contains hundreds of time-saving case citations, a table of cases, an improved index and hyperlinked web resources. More than 170 lawyers have contributed traps to this project since its start in 1987, including 50 lawyers who helped update this most recent edition.
James E. Harvey Jr., a partner at O’Malley, Harvey and Brosnan LLP, who served as editor in chief for the Seventh Edition, says that the expanded Seventh Edition — the first in 10 years, with its 160 pages and over 800 case citations — is the best edition yet. “No one lawyer knows all the malpractice and other hazards lurking out there, but 170 lawyers working together know a lot of them. We are grateful for their contributions to the project.”
Funding for Traps for the Unwary has been provided by the MBA Insurance Agency Inc.
Access Traps for the Unwary
If you’ve joined or renewed you’re the 2021-22 membership year, follow these steps to access and download your copy of
Traps for the Unwary.
- Log in to your member profile.
Under the Membership tab on your profile page, scroll down to the bottom of the page to Order History, where you should see an entry for Traps for the Unwary.
Click on the link and download the pdf to your home or office computer.
Trouble logging in or accessing the guide? Follow the login or password reset prompts on the login page, or contact MBA member services at (617) 338-0530.