Federal Law Clerks Barred From Applying To ‘Political’ Jobs While Clerking – Above the Law

Ed. note: Welcome to our daily feature, Quote of the Day.

A law clerk who applies for a job with a political organization risks linking the judge’s chambers to political activity, which could compromise the independence of the judiciary.

— An excerpt from an advisory opinion published by the U.S. Judicial Conference’s Committee on Codes of Conduct concerning judicial employees’ political activities. This updated election-year guidance comes hot on the heels of the committee determining whether new measures ought to be announced concerning judges’ ethics in controversial clerkship hiring.

Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on X/Twitter and Threads or connect with her on LinkedIn.