Principles for the Independence of the Legal Profession
In January 2026, Keep Our Republic issued an open letter calling on lawyers, law firms, and legal organizations to stand up for the rule of law by endorsing a baseline set of Principles for the Independence of the Legal Profession, authored by more than 30 former federal judges appointed by presidents of both parties.
After recent attacks on lawyers, judges, and law firms alike, the Principles offer all in the legal profession the opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to rules of professional ethics, their duty to provide pro bono representation to those unable to pay, and their unwillingness to accept representation under conditions that threaten their independence.
The release of the Principles marked the launch of a national effort to ensure that the legal profession remains a central pillar of a flourishing Republic governed by the rule of law.
Principles for the Independence of the Legal Profession
THE PREAMBLE
The objectives of the Principles for the Independence of the Legal Profession are to ensure the preservation of a robust and independent bar; to ensure that all lawyers are able to carry out their duties ethically and in compliance with the rules of professional conduct; to protect and serve the effective functioning of the independent judiciary; to promote the availability of competent counsel for all parties, without regard to interest, ideology, popular support, or government disfavor; to defend the bedrock right to counsel and all the protections of the Bill of Rights; and to support the maintenance of the rule of law for all those subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
Legal organizations, large and small, are urged to support and observe these Principles.
THE PRINCIPLES
As a legal organization that endorses the Principles for the Independence of the Legal Profession, we shall strive to apply these Principles with good faith and integrity. We intend to develop and implement policies, procedures, training, and internal reporting structures to ensure commitment to these Principles throughout our organization. We believe the application of these Principles will help to preserve a system of governance under the rule of law – a system in which everyone is governed by publicly available rules that are known in advance, applied equally in all cases according to their terms, and binding on both private actors, entities and the government.
Accordingly, we acknowledge our role as attorneys to:
- Defend our constitutional right to be free from government coercion or retaliation for activities that are protected by the First Amendment including representing clients, donating to causes of concern, and expressing beliefs regarding the value of equal opportunity. This principle covers individual lawyers as well as the organizations with which they are associated.
- Respect the Rules of Professional Conduct binding upon us as members of the legal profession, representatives of clients, and officers of the legal system – including our duty, when necessary, to challenge official actions.
- Uphold our duty as members of the legal profession to provide legal services to those unable to pay, by providing legal services directly, or to organizations that are designed primarily to address the needs of people of limited means. Protecting the rule of law is also an essential task required of all members of the bar and must be safe from any interference by the government or any other organization. The duty to provide equal access to justice is a paramount obligation of all members of the legal profession.
- Undertake our duties as attorneys, in accordance with our oath, mindful of the importance of honest counsel in ensuring access to justice to all who seek our counsel and in maintaining public confidence in the actual and perceived integrity of the legal process.
- Encourage the application of these Principles by all those we represent be they individuals, businesses, or federal and state governments.
- Refuse to accept any representation where a condition of such representation would violate any of the foregoing.
Signed,
Judge Gerard J. Alonzo – Formerly of the Livingston County Court in the Seventh Judicial District of New York
Judge Wayne Andersen – Formerly of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Judge John Bissell – Formerly of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
Judge Robert J. Cindrich – Formerly of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
Judge Jack H. Cook – Formerly of the 15th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida
Judge Gail M. Cookson – Former Administrative Law Judge for the State of New Jersey
Judge Georgia M. Curio – Formerly of the New Jersey Superior Court
Judge Andre M. Davis – Formerly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland & the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Justice Mary McGowan Davis – Formerly of the New York Supreme Court
Justice Carolyn Demarest – Formerly of the New York Supreme Court
Judge William Downes – Formerly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming
Judge Allyson K. Duncan – Formerly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Judge Eugene M. Fahey – Formerly of the New York Court of Appeals
Judge Gary Feess – Formerly of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
Justice Helen Freedman – Formerly of the New York Supreme Court
Justice Marcy Friedman – Formerly of the New York Supreme Court
Judge Royal Furgeson, Jr. – Formerly of the U.S. District Courts for the Western & Northern Districts of Texas
Judge Vanessa Gilmore – Formerly of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
Justice Judith Gische – Formerly of the New York Supreme Court
Justice Richard Goldenhersch – Formerly of the Illinois Appellate Court, Fifth District
Judge Irma Gonzalez – Formerly of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
Justice Emily J. Goodman – Formerly of the New York Supreme Court
Judge Paul W. Grimm – Formerly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
Judge Anne Harper – Formerly of the King County District Court, Washington
Judge Thelton Henderson – Formerly of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
Chief Judge Robert Henry – Formerly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
Judge Richard J. Holwell – Formerly of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
Judge Ellen Huvelle – Formerly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
Judge Gary M. Israel – Former Administrative Law Judge-In-Charge, Industrial Commission of Arizona
Chief Judge John Jones III – Formerly of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
Justice Marcy L. Kahn – Formerly of the New York Supreme Court
Judge Abdul K. Kallon – Formerly of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama
Judge Robert B. Kugler – Formerly of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey & the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court
Judge Michael S. Kupersmith – Formerly of the Vermont Superior Court
Judge Louise LaMothe – Former Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
Judge Timothy Lewis – Formerly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit & The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
Justice Joan B. Lobis – Formerly of the New York Supreme Court
Judge James Loprest – U.S. Immigration Court
Judge John Markson – Formerly of the Dane County Circuit Court, Wisconsin
Judge Beverly Martin – Formerly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
Judge John S. Martin – Formerly of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
Judge A. Howard Matz – Formerly of the U.S. Circuit Court for the Central District of California
Judge Arthur McFarland – Formerly of the Municipal Court for the City of Charleston, South Carolina
Chief Judge Paul Michel – Formerly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Judge Margaret M. Morrow – Formerly of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
Justice Karla Moskowitz – Formerly of the New York Supreme Court
Presiding Judge Michael C. Nelson – Formerly of the Apache County Superior Court, Arizona
Judge Richard Niess – Formerly of the Dane County Circuit Court, Wisconsin
Judge Liam O’Grady – Formerly of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia & the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court
Judge Kathleen O’Malley – Formerly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit & the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
Judge Philip M. Pro – Formerly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada Anonymous Former Michigan Judge
Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald – Formerly of the Hawaii Supreme Court
Judge Shira Scheindlin – Formerly of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
Judge M. John Schubert – Formerly of the Orange District Court, Franklin County, Massachusetts
Judge Elisabeth Sichel – Formerly of the Superior Court of Riverside County, California
Judge Lawrence F. Stengel – Formerly of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Chief Justice Laura Denvir Stith – Formerly of the Missouri Supreme Court
Justice Mary Thomas Sullivan – Formerly of the Massachusetts Appeals Court
Judge David S. Tatel– Formerly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
Judge Samuel H. Teller – Formerly of the Tolland District Superior Court, Connecticut
Judge John Daniel Tinder – Formerly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit & the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
Judge Daniel Turbow – Formerly of the New York Family Court
Judge Ursula M. Ungaro – Formerly of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
Judge Thomas Vanaskie – Formerly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit & the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
Judge T. John Ward – Formerly of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
Judge Paul Watford – Formerly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Judge Lee Yeakel – Formerly of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
Judge Alexander Williams, Jr. – Formerly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
Legal Principles Endorsement
Endorsement of the Principles for Preserving the Independence of the Legal Profession