New Jersey attorney general joins coalition opposing DOJ rule on attorney discipline
TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport has joined a coalition of 22 attorneys general opposing a proposed U.S. Department of Justice rule that could affect how federal attorneys are subject to state disciplinary proceedings.
The coalition submitted a comment letter challenging the proposal, which would allow the Justice Department to request that state bar associations pause investigations or disciplinary actions involving DOJ attorneys. According to the letter, states that decline such requests could face unspecified retaliatory actions.
“Attorneys must be held to the highest standards of professional and ethical conduct, not because of where they work, but because of what they represent,” said Attorney General Davenport. “The Department of Justice is an institution built on the tradition that those who wield the power of the law must do so with unwavering integrity, independence, and fidelity to the truth. This proposed rule seeks to shamefully lower that standard. In New Jersey, we work every day to build public trust in the legal system.”
The attorneys general argue that the regulation of lawyers has historically been handled at the state level and that federal law requires DOJ attorneys to follow the same professional standards as other lawyers licensed in those states.
The letter urges the Justice Department to reconsider the proposal, saying it could limit states’ ability to oversee attorney conduct and maintain accountability.
Davenport co-led the effort alongside attorneys general from Minnesota, the District of Columbia and Colorado. Attorneys general from 18 additional states also joined the letter, including Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia and Washington.
