Judicial Conduct Ethics Curriculum

"Judicial Ethics and Conduct provides materials that can be used in conjunction with a stand-alone one or two unit course on judicial ethics, or can be used in whole or in part to provide the basis for a sub-unit on judicial ethics within a standard course on legal ethics or lawyer professional responsibility. A heavy emphasis is placed upon the American Bar Association's Model Code of Judicial Conduct. The scope of coverage is designed to parallel that of the National Conference of Bar Examiners' Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE), as it pertains to judicial ethics. More specific subjects covered include: Maintaining the Independence and Impartiality of the Judiciary; Performing the Duties of Judicial Office Impartially, Competently, and Diligently; Ex Parte Communications; Disqualification; and Extrajudicial Activities. A number of important U.S. Supreme Court decisions relating to judicial ethics are covered. CALI Lessons are available that provide questions that review material from each of the chapters after the introduction."-- E-book download page.

The Model Rules of Professional Conduct provides an up-to-date resource for information on legal ethics. Federal, state and local courts in all jurisdictions look to the Rules for guidance in solving lawyer malpractice cases, disciplinary actions, disqualification issues, sanctions questions and much more. In this volume, black-letter Rules of Professional Conduct are followed by numbered Comments that explain each Rule's purpose and provide suggestions for its practical application. The Rules will help you identify proper conduct in a variety of given situations, review those instances where discretionary action is possible, and define the nature of the relationship between you and your clients, colleagues and the courts.

This monograph was written for the Judicial Reform Roundtable II held May 19-22, 1996 in Williamsburg, Virginia. It discusses the need for the rule of law and separation of powers; the need for judicial independence; and judicial responsibility, integrity, and discipline in the United States.

Apply the rules of evidence to your advantage with this concise discussion & up-to-date commentary on the Federal Rules of Evidence. Among the book's outstanding features are: extensive citation of up-to-date decisions from the various Circuits; in-depth analysis of recent decisions; practical advice on the use of the Federal Rules of Evidence at trial; commentary on the states' adoptions, adaptations & trends; & secondary source reference information.

Traditional separation of powers theories assumed that governmental despotism will be prevented by dividing the branches of government which will check one another. Modern governments function with unexpected complicity among these branches. Sometimes one of the branches becomes overwhelming. Other governmental structures, however, tend to mitigate these tendencies to domination. Among other structures courts have achieved considerable autonomy vis-à-vis the traditional political branches of power. They tend to maintain considerable distance from political parties in the name of professionalism and expertise. The conditions and criteria of independence are not clear, and even less clear are the conditions of institutional integrity. Independence (including depolitization) of public institutions is of particular practical relevance in the post-Communist countries where political partisanship penetrated institutions under the single party system. Institutional integrity, particularly in the context of administration of justice, became a precondition for accession to the European Union. Given this practical challenge the present volume is centered around three key areas of institutional integrity, primarily within the administration of justice: First, in a broader theoretical-interdisciplinary context the criteria of institutional independence are discussed. The second major issue is the relation of neutralized institutions to branches of government with reference to accountability. Thirdly, comparative experience regarding judicial independence is discussed to determine techniques to enhance integrity.