Privity, Duty, and Loss: In Swanson v. Ptak, 268 Neb. 265, 682 N.W.2d 225 (2004), the Nebraska Supreme Court Again Endorses Privity in Legal Malpractice Actions

Authors

Tracy M. Mason, University of Nebraska College of Law

Abstract

This Note argues that the Nebraska Supreme Court missed an opportunity to reconsider the entrenched common law rule in Nebraska requiring privity in legal malpractice actions. Part II briefly explores the role of privity nationally and in Nebraska, while Part III discusses the facts of Swanson v. Ptak. Part IV explores the implied relationship doctrine, concluding that the harshness of the privity requirement for clients who reasonably relied on what they assumed to be an attorney-client relationship outweighs any benefits it may have to the legal profession.

Recommended Citation

Tracy M. Mason, Privity, Duty, and Loss: In Swanson v. Ptak, 268 Neb. 265, 682 N.W.2d 225 (2004), the Nebraska Supreme Court Again Endorses Privity in Legal Malpractice Actions, 84 Neb. L. Rev. (2005)
Available at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nlr/vol84/iss1/7