Professional Responsibility State Practice Exam

What does Non maleficence focus on?

1. Maximizing good outcomes

2. Preventing harm

3. Stimulating collective action

4. Honesty in communication

The correct answer is: Preventing harm

Non maleficence is a fundamental principle in ethics, particularly in healthcare and legal contexts. This principle emphasizes the obligation to avoid causing harm to others. It is rooted in the idea that practitioners, including legal professionals, must take precautions to prevent harm while providing their services. In the context of law, non maleficence requires attorneys to conduct themselves in a manner that protects clients, third parties, and the justice system from harm. This can manifest in various ways, such as advising clients against unethical actions, ensuring that legal actions do not result in unfair detriment to others, and maintaining standards that prevent harm in the legal process. When considering other options, maximizing good outcomes relates more to the principle of beneficence, which focuses on actions that promote well-being but does not specifically address harm prevention. Stimulating collective action may pertain to community involvement and advocacy but is not a core aspect of non maleficence. Honesty in communication, while crucial for ethical practice, aligns more closely with principles of fidelity and integrity rather than focusing directly on the prevention of harm. Therefore, the core focus of non maleficence is clearly on preventing harm, making the second option the correct interpretation of this principle.