Legal Ethics
53 Articles
Destroying Federal Documents During a Presidential Transition Is a Federal Crime
Destroying or stealing documents belonging to the United States government is a crime.
A Conflict of Interest Raises Questions for State Department’s Top Lawyer
Did Marik String successfully stymy inspector general investigation into his own actions?
An Open Letter to Connecticut U.S. Attorney John Durham
"I urge you to comply with the Department’s longstanding policy."
Politically Motivated Prosecutions Part II: Refuse, Report, Resign
In Part II of this series, Kristy Parker and Erica Newland explain how DOJ's career prosecutors should respond when they become aware of, or are asked to participate in, politically…
Politically-Motivated Prosecutions Part I: Legal Obligations and Ethical Duties of Prosecutors
AG Barr is poised to weaponize criminal prosecutions. In part one of a two-part series, former DOJ attorneys Kristy Parker and Erica Newland explain how politically motivated prosecutions…
Why 27 Distinguished DC Lawyers Filed a Complaint with Bar Association Against Attorney General Barr
Non-partisan group files an ethics complaint with the DC Bar Association against Attorney General William Barr. The former Attorney General of Massachusetts describes the initiative…
Barr Ignores Settled Justice Department Policies in Run-Up to 2020 Elections
Apparently seeking to support false claims about the Russia investigation and the president's reelection bid, the attorney general flouts long-settled DOJ policy.
Law Day and the Need for Virtue in Government Lawyering
"This Law Day demands that we also pay attention to a very different set of actions by lawyers within the Trump period."
A “Twitter Chat” About COVID-19: Ethical Dilemmas in a Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic is highlighting ethical issues for everyday citizens and healthcare workers. The public health has become more important than ever. Information is changing,…
Sen. Van Hollen Calls for Paoletta to Relinquish Role as OMB’s Top Ethics Official
Mark Paoletta, the general counsel at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), needs to recuse himself from ongoing inquiries into the Trump administration’s withholding of…
Impeachment Trial and Legal Ethics: Cipollone Should Be a Witness, Not a Trump Lawyer
Top legal ethics expert, Stephen Gillers, raises an issue hiding in plain site.
Four Fundamental Flaws in President Trump’s Impeachment Trial Memo
Leading impeachment law scholar pens a scathing critique of President Trump’s Trial Memo sent to senators on Monday.