Judicial ethics: No higher standard for both public, private conduct

Lawyers’ Forum

By David P. Sterba

David P. Sterba is the chairman of the Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board and a retired Illinois Appellate Court justice. He is currently a partner at Walsh, Fewkes & Sterba, P.C.

Posted April 19, 2022 1:04 PM

Like other leaders of society, judges are expected to be pillars of their community. The public expects fairness, wisdom and integrity. Put another way, “of those to whom much is committed, much is demanded.” This is not an aspirational aphorism but rather, as the Illinois Courts Commission recently reiterated, a practical requirement for judges, who cannot have feet of clay.A code of ethics binds judges and guides their conduct inside and outside the courtroom. Central to the ethical norms governing judicial conduct is …

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