{"id":149689,"date":"2026-04-27T07:34:54","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T15:34:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/04\/27\/legal-ethics-roundup-ethics-of-attorney-journalists-the-hyperlink-rule-oh-allows-judges-political-endorsements-splc-indictment-more\/"},"modified":"2026-04-27T07:34:54","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T15:34:54","slug":"legal-ethics-roundup-ethics-of-attorney-journalists-the-hyperlink-rule-oh-allows-judges-political-endorsements-splc-indictment-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/04\/27\/legal-ethics-roundup-ethics-of-attorney-journalists-the-hyperlink-rule-oh-allows-judges-political-endorsements-splc-indictment-more\/","title":{"rendered":"Legal Ethics Roundup: Ethics Of Attorney-Journalists, The \u2018Hyperlink Rule,\u2019 OH Allows Judges\u2019 Political Endorsements, SPLC Indictment & 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

Last week I spoke at the\u00a0New York State Permanent Commission on Access to Justice 2026 Annual Law School Conference<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0with\u00a0Matthew Diller<\/strong>\u00a0(Fordham),\u00a0Aziz Huq<\/strong>\u00a0(Chicago),\u00a0David Udell<\/strong>\u00a0(National Center for Access to Justice) and\u00a0Carolyn Coffey<\/strong>\u00a0(Mobilization For Justice) where we discussed \u201cLawyering in Complex Times: Access to Justice and the Rule of Law as Foundations of Professional Identity.\u201d Program materials and a recording of the full conference should be available soon at this\u00a0<\/a>link<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

It was a busy week in the world of legal ethics, so you get fifteen headlines instead of the usual ten.<\/p>\n

Highlights from Last Week \u2013 Top\u00a0Ten<\/s>\u00a0Fifteen Headlines \ud83d\udcf0<\/h3>\n

#1 \u201cA.I. \u2018Hallucinations\u2019 Created Errors in Court Filing, Top Law Firm Says.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0The New York Times:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cSullivan & Cromwell<\/strong>\u00a0apologized for submitting a court document that had fake citations created by artificial intelligence.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>(gift link).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n

#2 \u201cU.S. Law Schools Have Diverse Takes on DEI. The Body That Accredits Them Has None \u2014 Our Standards are Silent on the Subject.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Daniel Theis\u00a0<\/strong>(Accreditation Council) in\u00a0The Wall Street Journal:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cAs chairman of the body that accredits law schools\u2014the Council of the American Bar Association Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar\u2014I\u2019d like to clarify a few points relevant to your editorial \u2018How the ABA Spreads DEI in Law Schools<\/a><\/strong>\u2019 (April 17). The law school accreditation standards are silent on DEI, and have been since February 2025. As you note, the council suspended Standard 206 on diversity and inclusion at that time. Looking forward, the council\u2014which has the final say on the content of the accreditation standards\u2014has proposed a permanent repeal effective as soon as this August.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(gift link). [Full disclosure: I am an elected member of the Accreditation Council for the ABA Section on Legal Education and Admission to the Bar.]<\/p>\n

#3 \u201cThe Inside Story of Five Days that Remade the Supreme Court.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0The New York Times:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cSecret memos obtained by The New York Times illuminate the origins of the court\u2019s now-routine \u2018shadow docket\u2019 rulings on presidential power.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(gift link).<\/p>\n

#4 \u201cCourt Leaks and Attorney-Journalists.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Divided Argument:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThe recent\u00a0leak of internal Supreme Court memoranda to the\u00a0<\/a><\/strong>New York Times<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, discussed earlier by\u00a0Will Baude<\/a><\/strong>\u2014as well as by\u00a0Jonathan Adler<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0Josh Blackman<\/a><\/strong>, and\u00a0Jack Goldsmith<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0elsewhere\u2014was plainly a serious violation of the Court\u2019s confidentiality obligations. But it may also reflect serious legal-ethics violations by one of the\u00a0Times<\/em>\u00a0article\u2019s coauthors,\u00a0Adam Liptak<\/strong>, whom I understand to be a licensed attorney in New York and subject to that state\u2019s Rules of Professional Conduct.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#5\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cWhat We Learned From a Secret Deposition of Ken Paxton.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0The Wall Street Journal:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cPreviously hidden document sheds new light on ethical questions surrounding the GOP Senate candidate and Texas attorney general.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(gift link).<\/p>\n

#6 \u201cThe Hyperlink Rule.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Oliver Roberts\u00a0<\/strong>on\u00a0LinkedIn:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThe Hyperlink Rule could have prevented the AI hallucination incident in California, where a judge issued an order with fake citations last month. \u2026 Had the court required use of the Hyperlink Rule, meaning that cited authorities had to be hyperlinked to real sources (e.g., Lexis or Westlaw), there would have been an immediate three-part safeguard, and any one of those checkpoints likely would have flagged the problem before it resulted in wasted briefing and judicial time on appeal. First, if the drafting attorney had been required to hyperlink each cited source, counsel likely would have realized that the cited authorities did not correspond to real sources and therefore could not be linked. Second, opposing counsel could have simply clicked the hyperlinks in the proposed order to confirm that the authorities actually existed. Third, the judge could have done the same before signing the order. \u2026 The Hyperlink Rule should become commonplace in courts.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#7 \u201cCivil Rights Groups Condemn Southern Poverty Law Center\u2019s Indictment and Prepare for Legal Fights.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0The Washington Post:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThe criminal\u00a0indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center this week<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0was met with much outrage but little surprise from civil rights leaders, who have for more than a year prepared for heightened legal scrutiny from the Trump administration, and how to mount a coordinated response. In rounds of calls immediately following the indictment, advocates discussed how to support the SPLC, a Montgomery, Alabama-based civil rights group founded in 1971 that has tracked white supremacist groups and been outspoken on voting rights, immigration and policing. Organizers on one call agreed that winning in the court of public opinion would be crucial as judicial proceedings began, leading to dozens of public statements of support and planned rallies.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(gift link).<\/p>\n

#8 \u201cA Group of Residents is Banding Together to Defend Judges Facing Threats and Violence.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0National Public Radio:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cBoston-area residents have formed a group to support federal judges facing hostile rhetoric and violent threats.\u201d Read more and listen\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#9 \u201cThe Eight-Figure Talent Race for Supreme Court Lawyers.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0The Wall Street Journal:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cFirms are dangling large pay packages to lure stars who can elevate their stature.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(gift link).<\/p>\n

#10 \u201cFormer Texas Chief Justice on the Importance of Court Transparency.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0The Brennan Center for Justice:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cWallace B. Jefferson\u00a0<\/strong>joined the Supreme Court of Texas in 2001 and served as chief justice from 2004 until he left the court in 2013. As chief justice, he successfully lobbied to allow live video of high court oral arguments, which launched in 2007. In an interview, Jefferson addressed the importance of court transparency, including why the U.S. Supreme Court should allow cameras at oral arguments and Texas\u2019s policy \u2014 which Jefferson noted is outside the norm for most high courts\u2019 policies \u2014 of allowing state supreme court clerks to sit in on the justices\u2019 conferences.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>. [Full disclosure: Wallace is my wonderful husband.]<\/p>\n

#11 \u201cEEOC Chair Violated Attorney Ethics Code, Bar Complaint Says.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Bloomberg Law:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cEEOC Chair Andrea Lucas<\/strong>\u00a0should be investigated for using her position to advance \u2018personal and political objectives\u2019 that violate her duties to enforce federal discrimination law, a legal accountability group told the Virginia State Bar. The Legal Accountability Center\u00a0filed the bar complaint<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0earlier this week citing a series of actions the commission has taken under Lucas\u2019s leadership that includes halting investigations of charges dealing with transgender bias and charges based on solely on unintentional discrimination claims. It also cited letters to law firms signed by Lucas asking for information about their diversity initiatives.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#12 \u201cCalifornia High Court Proposes Tougher Ethics Rules on False Statements by Attorneys.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Law.com:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cCalifornia\u2019s Supreme Court justices on Thursday\u00a0rejected<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0proposed changes to ethics rules targeting attorneys who lie or spread misleading statements about judges, choosing instead to draft their own tougher language. \u2026 The state Supreme Court revised a proposed ethics rule to warn that lawyers who make false statements could be disciplined even if they \u2018reasonably\u2019 disagree with a judge\u2019s ruling.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#13 \u201cWhen Judges are Targeted, the Legal Profession Must Respond.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0ABA President<\/strong>\u00a0Michelle Behnke\u00a0<\/strong>in the\u00a0Las Vegas Sun:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cJudges in the United States are under a sustained, coordinated attack. Their photographs have been posted online by senior government officials. The president has disparaged them by name. Their rulings have been met not with appeals but with calls for impeachment and, in some cases, with outright defiance. This pressure on judges is personal, targeted and designed to undermine a justice system that should work for everyone. This is not a partisan concern. It is a structural one. Judicial independence is not a privilege of the judiciary \u2014 it is a safeguard for everyone who might one day need a court to stand between them and power.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#14 \u201cRepublican Ohio Supreme Court Makes Ohio First in Nation to Allow Political Endorsements From Judges.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From the\u00a0Ohio Capital Journal:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cYou read that right. Ohio\u2019s highest court issued an out-of-the blue\u00a0ruling<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0with profound implications for an even more partisan judiciary in the state. In a 5-1 Republican majority opinion, the justices made Ohio a complete outlier in the country by ending a decades-old ban on state judges and judicial candidates openly endorsing (or opposing) a candidate for another public office.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#15 \u201cFormer Texas Supreme Court Justice Hecht Addresses Judicial Independence at UH Law Sondock Lecture.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From the\u00a0University of Houston Law Center:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cComplaints about the judiciary aren\u2019t new.\u00a0Nathan L. Hecht<\/strong>, 27th chief justice of the Supreme Court of Texas, cited examples dating back to the era of\u00a0Thomas Jefferson<\/strong>\u00a0as he delivered the\u00a02026 Justice Ruby Kless Sondock Jurist-in-Residence Lectureship in Legal Ethics at the University of Houston Law Center<\/strong>. But, Hecht warned, that doesn\u2019t mean today\u2019s criticism of judicial decisions \u2013 from the highest levels of government to the person caught up in an eviction case \u2013 aren\u2019t a serious concern. He outlined several steps that judges, the legal system and society at large could take to ensure people believe the courts are impartial. \u2026 Sondock is a pioneering lawyer and jurist who graduated as valedictorian and one of just five women in the UH law school class of 1962. She became the first female state district court judge in Harris County when she was appointed to the bench in 1977 and was appointed to the state Supreme Court in 1982. Sondock was in the audience for this year\u2019s lecture, which was held just a week before her 100th birthday.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>. Happy 100th Birthday Justice Sondock!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n
\n

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

Did you miss the 500+ 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

Do you have colleagues who care about legal ethics?<\/strong>\u00a0Please share the Roundup with them. I\u2019d love to see our community continue to grow!<\/p>\n

News tips? Announcements? Events?<\/strong>\u00a0A job to post?<\/strong>\u00a0Reading recommendations?<\/strong>\u00a0Email legalethics@substack.com \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: Ethics Of Attorney-Journalists, The \u2018Hyperlink Rule,\u2019 OH Allows Judges\u2019 Political Endorsements, SPLC Indictment & 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

Last week I spoke at the\u00a0New York State Permanent Commission on Access to Justice 2026 Annual Law School Conference<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0with\u00a0Matthew Diller<\/strong>\u00a0(Fordham),\u00a0Aziz Huq<\/strong>\u00a0(Chicago),\u00a0David Udell<\/strong>\u00a0(National Center for Access to Justice) and\u00a0Carolyn Coffey<\/strong>\u00a0(Mobilization For Justice) where we discussed \u201cLawyering in Complex Times: Access to Justice and the Rule of Law as Foundations of Professional Identity.\u201d Program materials and a recording of the full conference should be available soon at this\u00a0<\/a>link<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

It was a busy week in the world of legal ethics, so you get fifteen headlines instead of the usual ten.<\/p>\n

Highlights from Last Week \u2013 Top\u00a0Ten<\/s>\u00a0Fifteen Headlines \ud83d\udcf0<\/h3>\n

#1 \u201cA.I. \u2018Hallucinations\u2019 Created Errors in Court Filing, Top Law Firm Says.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0The New York Times:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cSullivan & Cromwell<\/strong>\u00a0apologized for submitting a court document that had fake citations created by artificial intelligence.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>(gift link).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n

#2 \u201cU.S. Law Schools Have Diverse Takes on DEI. The Body That Accredits Them Has None \u2014 Our Standards are Silent on the Subject.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Daniel Theis\u00a0<\/strong>(Accreditation Council) in\u00a0The Wall Street Journal:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cAs chairman of the body that accredits law schools\u2014the Council of the American Bar Association Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar\u2014I\u2019d like to clarify a few points relevant to your editorial \u2018How the ABA Spreads DEI in Law Schools<\/a><\/strong>\u2019 (April 17). The law school accreditation standards are silent on DEI, and have been since February 2025. As you note, the council suspended Standard 206 on diversity and inclusion at that time. Looking forward, the council\u2014which has the final say on the content of the accreditation standards\u2014has proposed a permanent repeal effective as soon as this August.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(gift link). [Full disclosure: I am an elected member of the Accreditation Council for the ABA Section on Legal Education and Admission to the Bar.]<\/p>\n

#3 \u201cThe Inside Story of Five Days that Remade the Supreme Court.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0The New York Times:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cSecret memos obtained by The New York Times illuminate the origins of the court\u2019s now-routine \u2018shadow docket\u2019 rulings on presidential power.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(gift link).<\/p>\n

#4 \u201cCourt Leaks and Attorney-Journalists.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Divided Argument:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThe recent\u00a0leak of internal Supreme Court memoranda to the\u00a0<\/a><\/strong>New York Times<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, discussed earlier by\u00a0Will Baude<\/a><\/strong>\u2014as well as by\u00a0Jonathan Adler<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0Josh Blackman<\/a><\/strong>, and\u00a0Jack Goldsmith<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0elsewhere\u2014was plainly a serious violation of the Court\u2019s confidentiality obligations. But it may also reflect serious legal-ethics violations by one of the\u00a0Times<\/em>\u00a0article\u2019s coauthors,\u00a0Adam Liptak<\/strong>, whom I understand to be a licensed attorney in New York and subject to that state\u2019s Rules of Professional Conduct.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#5\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cWhat We Learned From a Secret Deposition of Ken Paxton.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0The Wall Street Journal:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cPreviously hidden document sheds new light on ethical questions surrounding the GOP Senate candidate and Texas attorney general.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(gift link).<\/p>\n

#6 \u201cThe Hyperlink Rule.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Oliver Roberts\u00a0<\/strong>on\u00a0LinkedIn:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThe Hyperlink Rule could have prevented the AI hallucination incident in California, where a judge issued an order with fake citations last month. \u2026 Had the court required use of the Hyperlink Rule, meaning that cited authorities had to be hyperlinked to real sources (e.g., Lexis or Westlaw), there would have been an immediate three-part safeguard, and any one of those checkpoints likely would have flagged the problem before it resulted in wasted briefing and judicial time on appeal. First, if the drafting attorney had been required to hyperlink each cited source, counsel likely would have realized that the cited authorities did not correspond to real sources and therefore could not be linked. Second, opposing counsel could have simply clicked the hyperlinks in the proposed order to confirm that the authorities actually existed. Third, the judge could have done the same before signing the order. \u2026 The Hyperlink Rule should become commonplace in courts.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#7 \u201cCivil Rights Groups Condemn Southern Poverty Law Center\u2019s Indictment and Prepare for Legal Fights.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0The Washington Post:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThe criminal\u00a0indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center this week<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0was met with much outrage but little surprise from civil rights leaders, who have for more than a year prepared for heightened legal scrutiny from the Trump administration, and how to mount a coordinated response. In rounds of calls immediately following the indictment, advocates discussed how to support the SPLC, a Montgomery, Alabama-based civil rights group founded in 1971 that has tracked white supremacist groups and been outspoken on voting rights, immigration and policing. Organizers on one call agreed that winning in the court of public opinion would be crucial as judicial proceedings began, leading to dozens of public statements of support and planned rallies.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(gift link).<\/p>\n

#8 \u201cA Group of Residents is Banding Together to Defend Judges Facing Threats and Violence.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0National Public Radio:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cBoston-area residents have formed a group to support federal judges facing hostile rhetoric and violent threats.\u201d Read more and listen\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#9 \u201cThe Eight-Figure Talent Race for Supreme Court Lawyers.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0The Wall Street Journal:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cFirms are dangling large pay packages to lure stars who can elevate their stature.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(gift link).<\/p>\n

#10 \u201cFormer Texas Chief Justice on the Importance of Court Transparency.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0The Brennan Center for Justice:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cWallace B. Jefferson\u00a0<\/strong>joined the Supreme Court of Texas in 2001 and served as chief justice from 2004 until he left the court in 2013. As chief justice, he successfully lobbied to allow live video of high court oral arguments, which launched in 2007. In an interview, Jefferson addressed the importance of court transparency, including why the U.S. Supreme Court should allow cameras at oral arguments and Texas\u2019s policy \u2014 which Jefferson noted is outside the norm for most high courts\u2019 policies \u2014 of allowing state supreme court clerks to sit in on the justices\u2019 conferences.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>. [Full disclosure: Wallace is my wonderful husband.]<\/p>\n

#11 \u201cEEOC Chair Violated Attorney Ethics Code, Bar Complaint Says.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Bloomberg Law:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cEEOC Chair Andrea Lucas<\/strong>\u00a0should be investigated for using her position to advance \u2018personal and political objectives\u2019 that violate her duties to enforce federal discrimination law, a legal accountability group told the Virginia State Bar. The Legal Accountability Center\u00a0filed the bar complaint<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0earlier this week citing a series of actions the commission has taken under Lucas\u2019s leadership that includes halting investigations of charges dealing with transgender bias and charges based on solely on unintentional discrimination claims. It also cited letters to law firms signed by Lucas asking for information about their diversity initiatives.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#12 \u201cCalifornia High Court Proposes Tougher Ethics Rules on False Statements by Attorneys.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Law.com:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cCalifornia\u2019s Supreme Court justices on Thursday\u00a0rejected<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0proposed changes to ethics rules targeting attorneys who lie or spread misleading statements about judges, choosing instead to draft their own tougher language. \u2026 The state Supreme Court revised a proposed ethics rule to warn that lawyers who make false statements could be disciplined even if they \u2018reasonably\u2019 disagree with a judge\u2019s ruling.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#13 \u201cWhen Judges are Targeted, the Legal Profession Must Respond.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0ABA President<\/strong>\u00a0Michelle Behnke\u00a0<\/strong>in the\u00a0Las Vegas Sun:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cJudges in the United States are under a sustained, coordinated attack. Their photographs have been posted online by senior government officials. The president has disparaged them by name. Their rulings have been met not with appeals but with calls for impeachment and, in some cases, with outright defiance. This pressure on judges is personal, targeted and designed to undermine a justice system that should work for everyone. This is not a partisan concern. It is a structural one. Judicial independence is not a privilege of the judiciary \u2014 it is a safeguard for everyone who might one day need a court to stand between them and power.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#14 \u201cRepublican Ohio Supreme Court Makes Ohio First in Nation to Allow Political Endorsements From Judges.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From the\u00a0Ohio Capital Journal:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cYou read that right. Ohio\u2019s highest court issued an out-of-the blue\u00a0ruling<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0with profound implications for an even more partisan judiciary in the state. In a 5-1 Republican majority opinion, the justices made Ohio a complete outlier in the country by ending a decades-old ban on state judges and judicial candidates openly endorsing (or opposing) a candidate for another public office.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#15 \u201cFormer Texas Supreme Court Justice Hecht Addresses Judicial Independence at UH Law Sondock Lecture.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From the\u00a0University of Houston Law Center:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cComplaints about the judiciary aren\u2019t new.\u00a0Nathan L. Hecht<\/strong>, 27th chief justice of the Supreme Court of Texas, cited examples dating back to the era of\u00a0Thomas Jefferson<\/strong>\u00a0as he delivered the\u00a02026 Justice Ruby Kless Sondock Jurist-in-Residence Lectureship in Legal Ethics at the University of Houston Law Center<\/strong>. But, Hecht warned, that doesn\u2019t mean today\u2019s criticism of judicial decisions \u2013 from the highest levels of government to the person caught up in an eviction case \u2013 aren\u2019t a serious concern. He outlined several steps that judges, the legal system and society at large could take to ensure people believe the courts are impartial. \u2026 Sondock is a pioneering lawyer and jurist who graduated as valedictorian and one of just five women in the UH law school class of 1962. She became the first female state district court judge in Harris County when she was appointed to the bench in 1977 and was appointed to the state Supreme Court in 1982. Sondock was in the audience for this year\u2019s lecture, which was held just a week before her 100th birthday.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>. Happy 100th Birthday Justice Sondock!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n
\n

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

Did you miss the 500+ 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

Do you have colleagues who care about legal ethics?<\/strong>\u00a0Please share the Roundup with them. I\u2019d love to see our community continue to grow!<\/p>\n

News tips? Announcements? Events?<\/strong>\u00a0A job to post?<\/strong>\u00a0Reading recommendations?<\/strong>\u00a0Email legalethics@substack.com \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: Ethics Of Attorney-Journalists, The \u2018Hyperlink Rule,\u2019 OH Allows Judges\u2019 Political Endorsements, SPLC Indictment & 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! Last week I spoke at the\u00a0New York State Permanent Commission on Access to Justice […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":149690,"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-149689","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\/04\/https3A2F2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com2Fpublic2Fimages2F6cf09f5c-bc4f-445e-b6cb-c47a8fd75845_1890x844-EC7esK.jpg?fit=1456%2C650&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149689","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=149689"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149689\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/149690"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=149689"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=149689"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=149689"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}