According to the ‘American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’
(AICPA) Code of Professional Conduct there are certain ethical standards that
must be followed by Clinical Public Accountants in the United States while
carrying out their professional roles and responsibilities. The members need to
act with dignity, competence, due care, and objectivity and maintain the
confidentiality of clients (AICPA). When it comes to the acceptance of
engagements, professionals need to accept and perform with objectivity and
integrity. They need to act in an independent manner and accept the
engagements that they can perform in a diligent and competent manner. In the
case of Attorney Joseph Leslie, the acceptance of the engagement must be
declined because he does not carry out her work with honesty and integrity.
For instance, he accepts only wealthy clients, which sheds light on her
discriminatory behavior. Similarly, he does not adhere to a proper
professional code of conduct as he makes his staff members work for excess
hours and asks them to provide instant information, although he does not
follow these rules while working.
The key factors that must be taken into consideration while serving as an
expert witness for an accepted engagement include:
Ethical Standards – The attorney’s ethical practices need to be reviewed to
ensure he is adhering to the relevant guidelines and standards, such as moral
judgement, while carrying out all the responsibilities. It is essential to make
sure that the white-collar crime cases are carried out in a responsible and
accountable manner by the attorney (Jenkins et al., 2020). b
Conflict of Interest – It is essential to conduct a thorough assessment to
identify whether there is the possibility of any conflict of interest due to the
acceptance of the engagement. b
Professional Competence – Showcasing professional competence is of
paramount importance that must be given due consideration. In the case of
Attorney Joseph Leslie, it is of critical importance to make sure that the
engagement is synchronized with the professional experience as well as
expertise of the AICPA member.
The case could have been accepted only if the attorney had been carrying out
his fundamental responsibilities in an ethical and professional manner. For
accepting the engagement, proper adherence to AICPA is crucial for its
members so that they can effectively serve as the expert witness. It is
imperative to act in an ethical way and choose the case if it integrates relevant
ethical components such as objectivity, transparency, etc. (West, 2018). b
Reference
Jenkins, J. G., Popova, V., & Sheldon, M. D. (2020). Monitoring the
accounting profession under the AICPA code of professional conduct: An
analysis of state board of accountancy participation. Journal of Accounting
and Public Policy, 39(3), 106742.
Professional Responsibilities. (n.d.). AICPA.
https://us.aicpa.org/interestareas/personalfinancialplanning/resources/practice
center/professionalresponsibilities
West, A. (2018). Accounting Ethics (Including the Profession’s Code of
Ethics and Commitment to the Public Interest). Encyclopedia of Business and
Professional Ethics, 1-5.
