{"id":141536,"date":"2026-01-12T09:24:42","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T17:24:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/01\/12\/legal-ethics-roundup-rogue-judges-senate-hearing-tx-ends-aba-oversight-judge-charged-over-book-of-grudges-predictions-for-2026-more\/"},"modified":"2026-01-12T09:24:42","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T17:24:42","slug":"legal-ethics-roundup-rogue-judges-senate-hearing-tx-ends-aba-oversight-judge-charged-over-book-of-grudges-predictions-for-2026-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/01\/12\/legal-ethics-roundup-rogue-judges-senate-hearing-tx-ends-aba-oversight-judge-charged-over-book-of-grudges-predictions-for-2026-more\/","title":{"rendered":"Legal Ethics Roundup: \u2018Rogue Judges\u2019 Senate Hearing, TX Ends ABA Oversight, Judge Charged Over \u2018Book Of Grudges,\u2019 Predictions For 2026 & More"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ed. note<\/u>: Please welcome Renee Knake Jefferson back to the pages of Above the Law. Subscribe to her Substack, Legal Ethics Roundup,\u00a0<\/strong>here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Welcome to what captivates, haunts, inspires, and surprises me every week in the world of legal ethics.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Happy Monday!<\/p>\n

I\u2019m writing you from New Orleans while attending the Association for American Law Schools Annual Meeting. It was wonderful to see many LER readers at the standing-room-only panel I moderated on Thursday \u2014\u00a0\u201cThe Law Professor\u2019s Role in Protecting Our Legal System\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 with speakers\u00a0Scott Cummings<\/strong>\u00a0(UCLA),\u00a0Matthew Diller<\/strong>\u00a0(Fordham),\u00a0Rachel Lopez<\/strong>\u00a0(Temple), and\u00a0Milan Markovic<\/strong>\u00a0(Texas A&M). It was also great to hear an outstanding jazz performance by\u00a0Ingrid<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Christine Jensen<\/strong>\u00a0at\u00a0Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro, New Orleans (photo by Renee Jefferson)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This week I\u2019m teaching a (new to me) course at the University of Houston Law Center, a one-week intensive called Legal Methods, and next week I begin the regular semester teaching Professional Responsibility.<\/p>\n

With the start of a new year and a new semester, I\u2019ve been reflecting on why I keep writing the Legal Ethics Roundup. Later this week I\u2019ll be sharing a Bonus Content post to explain more, but for now I\u2019ll say this.<\/p>\n

The LER was inspired as I watched questions of lawyer and judicial ethics move from the margins to the center of our legal and democratic life\u2014and I was struck by how hard it had become to see the full picture. Developments were unfolding quickly, across jurisdictions, and often without context or synthesis. Even people who cared deeply about institutional integrity were trying to piece things together on their own. What emerged through this Substack is not really a newsletter in the usual sense. The LER is closer to a public-service legal ethics intelligence brief \u2014 a place to step back from the noise and understand what is happening, why it matters, and how today\u2019s decisions may shape tomorrow\u2019s institutions.<\/p>\n

Now for your headlines.<\/p>\n

\n

Highlights from Last Week\u00a0\u2013 Top Ten Headlines \ud83d\udcf0<\/h3>\n

#1 \u201cImpeachment: Holding Rogue Judges Accountable.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>Last Wednesday the\u00a0Senate Judiciary Committee<\/strong>\u00a0held hearings about so-called \u201crogue judges.\u201d Witnesses included\u00a0Will Chamberlain<\/strong>\u00a0(Article III Project),\u00a0Rob Luther<\/strong>\u00a0(George Mason), and\u00a0Stephen Vladeck<\/strong>\u00a0(Georgetown). Watch the hearings and read their testimony\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>. Highlights from each follow below:<\/p>\n

\n

Chamberlain:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cImpeachments of judges are relatively rare throughout our nation\u2019s history, to insulate the judicial process from politics and protect the rule of law.\u00a0Judge Boardman\u2019s<\/strong>\u00a0case, however, is the rare one where a judicial impeachment would vindicate the integrity of the judiciary and protect judges from improper influence.\u00a0Nicholas Roske<\/strong>\u00a0tried and failed to assassinate\u00a0Justice Kavanaugh<\/strong>. The evidence presented at sentencing demonstrated that he did so because he wanted to change the Supreme Court\u2019s jurisprudence on abortion.13 Judge Boardman\u2019s slap on the wrist for Mr. Roske, if left to stand, will only encourage others upset with judicial decisions to try similar tactics.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luther:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cThe cloak of judicial independence does not shroud a judge from accountability-before this body or the public. For facilitating violations of the U.S. Constitution and federal statutory law with respect to Members of this Congress and for pursuing a vengeful contempt expedition into the highest echelon of our national security officials,\u00a0Judge Boasberg<\/strong>\u00a0must be held accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vladeck:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cI would have welcomed an opportunity to explore with you how Congress can better promote [judicial accountability] across the entire federal judiciary\u2014including, in particular, with respect to the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, today\u2019s hearing is focused on something else altogether\u2014an effort to vilify, and perhaps muster support for the impeachment of, two highly regarded federal district judges because some members of this Subcommittee disagree with some of their rulings. As someone who spends a lot of time disagreeing with judicial decisions, I can certainly relate to that impulse. But in my testimony today, I respectfully submit that the Subcommittee\u2019s efforts are deeply misguided\u2014for at least three reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

#2 \u201cLaw School Student Groups Ask ABA to Review Accelerated Associate Recruiting Timelines.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Law.com:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cStudent associations and governments from 18 top-tier law schools signed a joint letter that asserts \u2018accelerated timelines have also begun to undermine legal education, student and staff well-being, and the recruitment market.\u2019\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#3 \u201cAdvocacy Group Accuses US Appeals Court Judge of Mistreating Law Clerks.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Reuters\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cA non-profit organization that advocates on behalf of law clerks \u2026 filed a judicial misconduct complaint accusing a federal appeals court judge of mistreating her clerks and creating a \u2018workplace climate characterized by fear, oppressive control, intimidation, humiliation, and bullying.\u2019\u00a0The Legal Accountability Project<\/strong>\u00a0alleged that\u00a0U.S. Circuit Judge Sarah Merriam<\/strong>\u00a0of the New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has maintained a \u2018culture of fear\u2019 in her chambers despite previously pledging to improve workplace conditions following an earlier complaint by a clerk.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#4 \u201cTexas Becomes First State to End American Bar Association Oversight of Law Schools.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Houston Public Media:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThe Texas Supreme Court on Tuesday finalized a tentative opinion issued in September that no longer requires soon-to-be lawyers to attend a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. The power to approve those law schools now rests with the state\u2019s highest civil court.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#5 \u201cJudge Who Allegedly Kept \u2018Book of Grudges\u2019 Faces Misconduct Charges.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From the\u00a0ABA Journal:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cA Pennsylvania judge who allegedly kept a \u2018Book of Grudges\u2019 and a sexually explicit calendar in her office violated judicial conduct standards, according to formal\u00a0charges filed Wednesday<\/a><\/strong>. The Judicial Conduct Board of Pennsylvania also accused\u00a0Lehigh County Magisterial District Judge Amy L. Zanelli<\/strong>\u00a0of excessive tardiness and absences. She was elected to her position in 2021. Zanelli allegedly described a local attorney as \u2018just a d- \u2013 -\u2019 in the \u2018Book of Grudges\u2019 and made notes that were critical of another person who appeared in her court in landlord-tenant matters. She placed the \u2018Book of Grudges\u2019 in a general work area in the office accessible to her staff to add notations to it if they wished, according to the complaint.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#6 \u201cTexas Judicial Ethics Rules Permit Same-Sex Wedding Refusal.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Bloomberg Law:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cA Texas judge\u2019s refusal to marry same-sex couples for religious reasons while still marrying opposite-sex couples is permitted under the state\u2019s judicial ethics code, the Texas Supreme Court said Friday, offering clarity in two high-profile disputes. Answering a certified question from the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the justices said it\u2019s not a violation to refrain from performing a wedding ceremony based upon a sincerely held religious belief.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#7 \u201cOne Person at a Time: Lawyers and Legal Legitimacy in a Shifting World.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Melissa Mortazavi\u00a0<\/strong>(Oklahoma)\u00a0<\/strong>in\u00a0Jotwell\u00a0<\/strong>reviewing\u00a0Hannah Haksgaard\u2019s\u00a0<\/strong>(South Dakota)\u00a0The Rural Lawyer: How to Help Incentivize Rural Law Practice and Help Small Communities Thrive<\/a>:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cWhile there is a growing body of research on rural lawyering and rural access to justice, none approaches the subject with the level of detail and care to individual experiences that Professor Hannah Haksgaard does in her quietly landmark work,\u00a0The Rural Lawyer: How to Incentivize Rural Law Practice and Help Small Communities Thrive<\/em>. She sets out the book\u2019s seemingly modest goal with a humility that mirrors the project she describes so lovingly, as an \u2018analysis of how a program can help new rural lawyers.\u2019 (P. 8.) However, this deeply intimate account detailing the successes (and failures) of South Dakota\u2019s Rural Attorney Recruitment Program, does far more than that: this book interrogates the relationship between communities, legal practice, lawyer to lawyer mentorship, and law itself. In doing so, it provides vital insights for our turbulent times.<\/strong>\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#8 \u201c4 Developments That Defined The 2025 Ethical Landscape.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Law360:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThe legal profession spent 2025 at the edge of its ethical comfort zone as courts, firms and regulators confronted how fast-moving technologies and new business models collide with long-standing professional duties. A surge of sanctions tied to improper artificial intelligence use, a\u00a0U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit<\/a>\u00a0YouTube<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0dissent, rapid expansion of management services organizations and alternative business structures, and the Trump administration\u2019s pressure campaign against major firms dominated the legal ethics docket. Below is a breakdown of four developments that shaped this year\u2019s ethics conversation \u2014 and what they signal for 2026.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#9 \u201cLegal Ethics Year in Review: 2025.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Brad Wendel\u2019s\u00a0<\/strong>(Cornell)\u00a0Legal Ethics Stuff Substack:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cTo my mind the biggest legal ethics story of 2025 by a long shot was the attempt by the Trump administration to use executive orders to destroy law firms who either hired lawyers who angered the president (like\u00a0Marc Elias<\/strong>\u00a0at\u00a0Perkins Coie<\/strong>\u00a0or lawyers at\u00a0WilmerHale<\/strong>\u00a0who had worked on the Special Counsel investigations of Trump) or represented clients in causes the president deemed inimical to the national interest.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#10 \u201cAttorney Conduct Cases Coming to a Head in 2026.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Reuters:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThe new year kicks off with the scheduled trial of a top U.S. Supreme Court lawyer, and pivotal rulings for one of the president\u2019s legal allies as well as for a law firm accused of profiting from a judicial conflict of interest. Here are three cases testing the boundaries of attorney conduct and professional ethics in 2026.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\n

Get Hired \ud83d\udcbc<\/h3>\n

Did you miss the 400+ job postings from previous weeks? Find them all\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\n

Upcoming Ethics Events & Other Announcements \ud83d\uddd3\ufe0f<\/h3>\n

Did you miss an announcement from previous weeks? Find them all\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\n

Keep in Touch \ud83d\udcdd<\/h3>\n

News tips? Announcements? Events?<\/strong>\u00a0A job to post?<\/strong>\u00a0Reading recommendations?<\/strong>\u00a0Email\u00a0legalethics@substack.com\u00a0\u2013 but be sure to subscribe first, otherwise the email won\u2019t be delivered.<\/p>\n

\n

Renee Knake Jefferson holds the endowed Doherty Chair in Legal Ethics and is a Professor of Law at the University of Houston. Check out more of her writing at the\u00a0Legal Ethics Roundup<\/a>. Find her on X (formerly Twitter) at\u00a0@reneeknake<\/a>\u00a0or Bluesky at\u00a0legalethics.bsky.social<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The post Legal Ethics Roundup: \u2018Rogue Judges\u2019 Senate Hearing, TX Ends ABA Oversight, Judge Charged Over \u2018Book Of Grudges,\u2019 Predictions For 2026 & More<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ed. note<\/u>: Please welcome Renee Knake Jefferson back to the pages of Above the Law. Subscribe to her Substack, Legal Ethics Roundup,\u00a0<\/strong>here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Welcome to what captivates, haunts, inspires, and surprises me every week in the world of legal ethics.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Happy Monday!<\/p>\n

I\u2019m writing you from New Orleans while attending the Association for American Law Schools Annual Meeting. It was wonderful to see many LER readers at the standing-room-only panel I moderated on Thursday \u2014\u00a0\u201cThe Law Professor\u2019s Role in Protecting Our Legal System\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 with speakers\u00a0Scott Cummings<\/strong>\u00a0(UCLA),\u00a0Matthew Diller<\/strong>\u00a0(Fordham),\u00a0Rachel Lopez<\/strong>\u00a0(Temple), and\u00a0Milan Markovic<\/strong>\u00a0(Texas A&M). It was also great to hear an outstanding jazz performance by\u00a0Ingrid<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Christine Jensen<\/strong>\u00a0at\u00a0Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro, New Orleans (photo by Renee Jefferson)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This week I\u2019m teaching a (new to me) course at the University of Houston Law Center, a one-week intensive called Legal Methods, and next week I begin the regular semester teaching Professional Responsibility.<\/p>\n

With the start of a new year and a new semester, I\u2019ve been reflecting on why I keep writing the Legal Ethics Roundup. Later this week I\u2019ll be sharing a Bonus Content post to explain more, but for now I\u2019ll say this.<\/p>\n

The LER was inspired as I watched questions of lawyer and judicial ethics move from the margins to the center of our legal and democratic life\u2014and I was struck by how hard it had become to see the full picture. Developments were unfolding quickly, across jurisdictions, and often without context or synthesis. Even people who cared deeply about institutional integrity were trying to piece things together on their own. What emerged through this Substack is not really a newsletter in the usual sense. The LER is closer to a public-service legal ethics intelligence brief \u2014 a place to step back from the noise and understand what is happening, why it matters, and how today\u2019s decisions may shape tomorrow\u2019s institutions.<\/p>\n

Now for your headlines.<\/p>\n

\n

Highlights from Last Week\u00a0\u2013 Top Ten Headlines \ud83d\udcf0<\/h3>\n

#1 \u201cImpeachment: Holding Rogue Judges Accountable.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>Last Wednesday the\u00a0Senate Judiciary Committee<\/strong>\u00a0held hearings about so-called \u201crogue judges.\u201d Witnesses included\u00a0Will Chamberlain<\/strong>\u00a0(Article III Project),\u00a0Rob Luther<\/strong>\u00a0(George Mason), and\u00a0Stephen Vladeck<\/strong>\u00a0(Georgetown). Watch the hearings and read their testimony\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>. Highlights from each follow below:<\/p>\n

\n

Chamberlain:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cImpeachments of judges are relatively rare throughout our nation\u2019s history, to insulate the judicial process from politics and protect the rule of law.\u00a0Judge Boardman\u2019s<\/strong>\u00a0case, however, is the rare one where a judicial impeachment would vindicate the integrity of the judiciary and protect judges from improper influence.\u00a0Nicholas Roske<\/strong>\u00a0tried and failed to assassinate\u00a0Justice Kavanaugh<\/strong>. The evidence presented at sentencing demonstrated that he did so because he wanted to change the Supreme Court\u2019s jurisprudence on abortion.13 Judge Boardman\u2019s slap on the wrist for Mr. Roske, if left to stand, will only encourage others upset with judicial decisions to try similar tactics.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luther:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cThe cloak of judicial independence does not shroud a judge from accountability-before this body or the public. For facilitating violations of the U.S. Constitution and federal statutory law with respect to Members of this Congress and for pursuing a vengeful contempt expedition into the highest echelon of our national security officials,\u00a0Judge Boasberg<\/strong>\u00a0must be held accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vladeck:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cI would have welcomed an opportunity to explore with you how Congress can better promote [judicial accountability] across the entire federal judiciary\u2014including, in particular, with respect to the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, today\u2019s hearing is focused on something else altogether\u2014an effort to vilify, and perhaps muster support for the impeachment of, two highly regarded federal district judges because some members of this Subcommittee disagree with some of their rulings. As someone who spends a lot of time disagreeing with judicial decisions, I can certainly relate to that impulse. But in my testimony today, I respectfully submit that the Subcommittee\u2019s efforts are deeply misguided\u2014for at least three reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

#2 \u201cLaw School Student Groups Ask ABA to Review Accelerated Associate Recruiting Timelines.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Law.com:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cStudent associations and governments from 18 top-tier law schools signed a joint letter that asserts \u2018accelerated timelines have also begun to undermine legal education, student and staff well-being, and the recruitment market.\u2019\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#3 \u201cAdvocacy Group Accuses US Appeals Court Judge of Mistreating Law Clerks.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Reuters\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cA non-profit organization that advocates on behalf of law clerks \u2026 filed a judicial misconduct complaint accusing a federal appeals court judge of mistreating her clerks and creating a \u2018workplace climate characterized by fear, oppressive control, intimidation, humiliation, and bullying.\u2019\u00a0The Legal Accountability Project<\/strong>\u00a0alleged that\u00a0U.S. Circuit Judge Sarah Merriam<\/strong>\u00a0of the New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has maintained a \u2018culture of fear\u2019 in her chambers despite previously pledging to improve workplace conditions following an earlier complaint by a clerk.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#4 \u201cTexas Becomes First State to End American Bar Association Oversight of Law Schools.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Houston Public Media:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThe Texas Supreme Court on Tuesday finalized a tentative opinion issued in September that no longer requires soon-to-be lawyers to attend a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. The power to approve those law schools now rests with the state\u2019s highest civil court.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#5 \u201cJudge Who Allegedly Kept \u2018Book of Grudges\u2019 Faces Misconduct Charges.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From the\u00a0ABA Journal:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cA Pennsylvania judge who allegedly kept a \u2018Book of Grudges\u2019 and a sexually explicit calendar in her office violated judicial conduct standards, according to formal\u00a0charges filed Wednesday<\/a><\/strong>. The Judicial Conduct Board of Pennsylvania also accused\u00a0Lehigh County Magisterial District Judge Amy L. Zanelli<\/strong>\u00a0of excessive tardiness and absences. She was elected to her position in 2021. Zanelli allegedly described a local attorney as \u2018just a d- \u2013 -\u2019 in the \u2018Book of Grudges\u2019 and made notes that were critical of another person who appeared in her court in landlord-tenant matters. She placed the \u2018Book of Grudges\u2019 in a general work area in the office accessible to her staff to add notations to it if they wished, according to the complaint.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#6 \u201cTexas Judicial Ethics Rules Permit Same-Sex Wedding Refusal.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Bloomberg Law:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cA Texas judge\u2019s refusal to marry same-sex couples for religious reasons while still marrying opposite-sex couples is permitted under the state\u2019s judicial ethics code, the Texas Supreme Court said Friday, offering clarity in two high-profile disputes. Answering a certified question from the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the justices said it\u2019s not a violation to refrain from performing a wedding ceremony based upon a sincerely held religious belief.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#7 \u201cOne Person at a Time: Lawyers and Legal Legitimacy in a Shifting World.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Melissa Mortazavi\u00a0<\/strong>(Oklahoma)\u00a0<\/strong>in\u00a0Jotwell\u00a0<\/strong>reviewing\u00a0Hannah Haksgaard\u2019s\u00a0<\/strong>(South Dakota)\u00a0The Rural Lawyer: How to Help Incentivize Rural Law Practice and Help Small Communities Thrive<\/a>:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cWhile there is a growing body of research on rural lawyering and rural access to justice, none approaches the subject with the level of detail and care to individual experiences that Professor Hannah Haksgaard does in her quietly landmark work,\u00a0The Rural Lawyer: How to Incentivize Rural Law Practice and Help Small Communities Thrive<\/em>. She sets out the book\u2019s seemingly modest goal with a humility that mirrors the project she describes so lovingly, as an \u2018analysis of how a program can help new rural lawyers.\u2019 (P. 8.) However, this deeply intimate account detailing the successes (and failures) of South Dakota\u2019s Rural Attorney Recruitment Program, does far more than that: this book interrogates the relationship between communities, legal practice, lawyer to lawyer mentorship, and law itself. In doing so, it provides vital insights for our turbulent times.<\/strong>\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#8 \u201c4 Developments That Defined The 2025 Ethical Landscape.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Law360:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThe legal profession spent 2025 at the edge of its ethical comfort zone as courts, firms and regulators confronted how fast-moving technologies and new business models collide with long-standing professional duties. A surge of sanctions tied to improper artificial intelligence use, a\u00a0U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit<\/a>\u00a0YouTube<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0dissent, rapid expansion of management services organizations and alternative business structures, and the Trump administration\u2019s pressure campaign against major firms dominated the legal ethics docket. Below is a breakdown of four developments that shaped this year\u2019s ethics conversation \u2014 and what they signal for 2026.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#9 \u201cLegal Ethics Year in Review: 2025.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Brad Wendel\u2019s\u00a0<\/strong>(Cornell)\u00a0Legal Ethics Stuff Substack:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cTo my mind the biggest legal ethics story of 2025 by a long shot was the attempt by the Trump administration to use executive orders to destroy law firms who either hired lawyers who angered the president (like\u00a0Marc Elias<\/strong>\u00a0at\u00a0Perkins Coie<\/strong>\u00a0or lawyers at\u00a0WilmerHale<\/strong>\u00a0who had worked on the Special Counsel investigations of Trump) or represented clients in causes the president deemed inimical to the national interest.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#10 \u201cAttorney Conduct Cases Coming to a Head in 2026.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Reuters:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThe new year kicks off with the scheduled trial of a top U.S. Supreme Court lawyer, and pivotal rulings for one of the president\u2019s legal allies as well as for a law firm accused of profiting from a judicial conflict of interest. Here are three cases testing the boundaries of attorney conduct and professional ethics in 2026.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\n

Get Hired \ud83d\udcbc<\/h3>\n

Did you miss the 400+ job postings from previous weeks? Find them all\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\n

Upcoming Ethics Events & Other Announcements \ud83d\uddd3\ufe0f<\/h3>\n

Did you miss an announcement from previous weeks? Find them all\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\n

Keep in Touch \ud83d\udcdd<\/h3>\n

News tips? Announcements? Events?<\/strong>\u00a0A job to post?<\/strong>\u00a0Reading recommendations?<\/strong>\u00a0Email\u00a0legalethics@substack.com\u00a0\u2013 but be sure to subscribe first, otherwise the email won\u2019t be delivered.<\/p>\n

\n

Renee Knake Jefferson holds the endowed Doherty Chair in Legal Ethics and is a Professor of Law at the University of Houston. Check out more of her writing at the\u00a0Legal Ethics Roundup<\/a>. Find her on X (formerly Twitter) at\u00a0@reneeknake<\/a>\u00a0or Bluesky at\u00a0legalethics.bsky.social<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The post Legal Ethics Roundup: \u2018Rogue Judges\u2019 Senate Hearing, TX Ends ABA Oversight, Judge Charged Over \u2018Book Of Grudges,\u2019 Predictions For 2026 & More<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ed. note: Please welcome Renee Knake Jefferson back to the pages of Above the Law. Subscribe to her Substack, Legal Ethics Roundup,\u00a0here. Welcome to what captivates, haunts, inspires, and surprises me every week in the world of legal ethics. Happy Monday! I\u2019m writing you from New Orleans while attending the Association for American Law Schools […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":141537,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-141536","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-above_the_law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/xira.com\/p\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/https3A2F2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com2Fpublic2Fimages2F6b8d9b35-b084-4396-9a95-6444acfe541d-DNKKoB.jpg?fit=1456%2C1586&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141536","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=141536"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141536\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/141537"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=141536"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=141536"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=141536"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}