Under Rule 5.6 Restrictions on Right to Practice, which statement describes the prohibition?

• A. An agreement that restricts the right to practice after termination is prohibited.
• B. An agreement that restricts the right to practice is part of settling a client controversy is prohibited.
• C. Both A and B.
• D. Neither A nor B.

Answer: (C)

Rule 5.6 bars any agreement that restricts a lawyer’s right to practice after the lawyer–client or employment/partnership relationship ends. That means you can’t have a contract that says you won’t practice after leaving a firm, nor can you tie a settlement with a client to giving up the right to practice. These post-termination restraints threaten the public’s access to legal services and a lawyer’s freedom to practice, so they’re generally invalid. The statements describe two typical forms of such restraints, and both are prohibited, so recognizing that both are barred best reflects the rule.