The New York County Lawyers Association Statement on the New Supreme Court Code of Ethics

In April of this year we issued a report calling for the Supreme Court of the United States to adopt a Code of Conduct for itself. It was obvious to many observers, including to us at NYCLA, that the Justices were in need of definitive guidance to ensure that they do not stray from common sense notions of ethical behavior. The nine justices on the Court were the only judges in any federal court in the land who were not subject to such a Code; as every other federal judge was bound by a Code of Conduct. Virtually all state court judges were similarly bound.

We were pleased to see yesterday that the Supreme Court did in fact finally adopt a Code of Conduct. We will be studying it, and, we expect, offering comments. Whatever those comments may be, we are glad to see Chief Justice Roberts responding to our outcry (and that of so many others) by leading his colleagues to take this significant step.

About the New York County Lawyers Association

The New York County Lawyers Association (www.nycla.org) was founded in 1908 as one of the first major bar associations in the country that admitted members without regard to race, ethnicity, religion or gender, and has a long history of supporting the rights of LGBTQ+ people. Since its inception, NYCLA has pioneered some of the most far-reaching and tangible reforms in American jurisprudence. For more information on NYCLA please visit nycla.org.

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