Missouri Professional Licensing Attorney Addresses Code Of Conduct For Architects And Similar Professions

The Missouri Board of Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Professional Landscape Architects (the Board) is the licensing authority for those practicing in these professions. The Board must ensure that licensees are qualified to practice these professions and follow the rules of professional conduct regulating them. Thus, the Board performs a vital function for the residents of Missouri be ensuring that people who practice architecture, professional engineering, land surveying, and professional landscape architecture possess the requisite skill and workmanship ethically. Missouri professional licensing attorney Danielle Sanger is a skilled and experienced advocate for professional licensees in Missouri.

The Missouri state regulations governing architects, professional engineers, land surveyors, and professional landscape architects require the practitioners of each profession to be familiar with and understand the rules of conduct. The rules of professional conduct for architects, professional engineers, land surveyors, and professional landscape architects are substantially similar to the rules of professional conduct governing professions like healthcare professionals such as doctors and nurses, with exceptions for rules that were explicitly passed for each occupation. The Board is the sole enforcement authority for the rules. The Board will file a complaint with the Missouri Administrative Hearings Commission if it has sufficient evidence that a member violated a rule of conduct.

The foundation for the standards of professional conduct is the protection of the public. In the case of these professions, the public must be protected from shoddy work when licensees are designing buildings, public works projects, designating boundaries of land, and preserving the integrity of the land upon which buildings are situated. Therefore, the priority of the Board and the rules that it enforces is to make certain that every licensee must act with “reasonable care and competence.” Additionally, each licensee must “apply the technical knowledge and skill which are ordinarily applied by architects, professional engineers, land surveyors, and professional landscape architects.” The rules or regulations do not endeavor to delineate what is meant by phrases such as “reasonable care” and “ordinarily applied.”

Licensees monitored by the Board have every right to earn a living and receive remuneration for their work. However, in further protecting the public, architects, professional engineers, land surveyors, and professional landscape architects must refuse to engage in any self-dealing. Self-dealing has a broader application than financial interests. Self-dealing could mean anything which involves a licensee compromising his or her professional standards for which a personal advantage may be gained. Furthermore, no licensee may take any monetary compensation or other compensation for referring another professional’s services. Licensees must not offer financial awards or other valuable compensation in an attempt to obtain employment.

Licensees have an obligation to use their best professional judgment. Consequently, anytime the licensee’s judgment is questioned the licensee must notify their employer immediately if the public welfare of safety is compromised. A necessary component a licensee using his or her best judgment involves practicing within their area of expertise and technical knowledge consistent with the training and education they have received.

Licensees must also protect the integrity of their profession. Therefore, they must not attempt to injure other licensees’ professional reputations. Additionally, licensees must maintain all confidences about which they learn while performing the duties for which they are contracted. Licensees must cooperate with Board investigations if they are being investigated or are questioned during an inquiry into another licensee’s conduct.

Call For Help Today If You Are Facing Professional Discipline

Missouri Professional Licensing Attorney Danielle Sanger aggressively defends professional licensees facing disciplinary action. Contact Attorney Sanger immediately if a licensing authority has commenced an investigation into your professional conduct. Call 785-979-4353 to schedule a consultation today to learn how experience coupled with aggressive defense can make the difference for you.

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