Trump Justice Dept. Seeks to Stall State Bar Discipline of Its Lawyers
#Justice Department#state bar discipline#legal ethics#attorney general#Roger Alford#professional misconduct#legal proceedings#Trump administration
📌 Key Takeaways
Justice Department seeks to intervene in state bar disciplinary proceedings
Proposal would allow attorney general to request suspension of investigations
Career lawyers increasingly refusing unethical orders
Department simultaneously seeking disbarment of former lawyer Roger Alford
📖 Full Retelling
The Trump Justice Department is seeking to intervene in state bar associations' disciplinary proceedings against its lawyers in Washington on March 4, 2026, reflecting growing fears among administration officials that attorneys who carry out their orders could face punishment from legal ethics organizations and lose their licenses to practice law. A notice posted online in the Federal Register seeks to give the Justice Department priority in investigating any allegations of wrongdoing by its own lawyers, though the department has no direct control over state bar disciplinary authorities. The proposal envisions merely requesting that a state bar association 'suspend any parallel investigations until the completion of the department's review.' The move comes as career lawyers in the department have increasingly refused to carry out orders they view as unethical or which could jeopardize their professional standing, according to multiple people familiar with those discussions who spoke anonymously to discuss internal ethics disputes. This push to delay disciplinary actions also coincides with the Justice Department's effort to seek disbarment of one of its former senior antitrust lawyers, Roger Alford, who was forced out last year after a battle over a merger settlement and subsequently gave a speech criticizing what he called corruption by other senior officials.
🏷️ Themes
Legal Ethics, Government Accountability, Professional Discipline
A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a very few countries) or a secretary of justice. In som...
Roger Alford (died 1580) was an English landowner and politician who was secretary to Sir William Cecil and sat in the House of Commons in 1557 and 1559.
Alford was the eldest son of Robert Alford and Anne Brydges. In about 1549, he entered into political life as secretary to Sir William Cecil, aft...
Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Supported by SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Trump Justice Dept. Seeks to Stall State Bar Discipline of Its Lawyers The administration has no control over the disciplinary authorities of state bar associations, but a new proposal would let the attorney general ask them to suspend proceedings involving department lawyers. Listen to this article · 1:59 min Learn more Share full article By Devlin Barrett Reporting from Washington March 4, 2026, 11:50 a.m. ET The Justice Department is seeking to intervene in state bar associations’ disciplinary proceedings against its lawyers, reflecting a growing fear among administration officials that attorneys who do their bidding could be punished by legal ethics organizations and lose their ability to practice law. A notice posted online in the Federal Register seeks to give the Justice Department priority in investigating any allegations of wrongdoing by its own lawyers. But the department has no control over state bar disciplinary authorities, and the proposal envisions merely requesting that a state bar association “suspend any parallel investigations until the completion of the department’s review.” The move comes as career lawyers in the department have repeatedly balked at carrying out orders they view as unethical or which could cause them to lose their licenses, according to multiple people familiar with those discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal ethics disputes. A Justice Department spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Federal Register notice was reported earlier by Bloomberg . The Justice Department’s push to try to delay disciplinary actions against its lawyers also comes as the department is seeking disbarment of one of its former senior antitrust lawyers, Roger Alford. Mr. Alford was forced out of the department last year in a battle over a merger settlement. He gave a speech decrying what he called corruption by other senior Justice...
