Review of State Bar Complaints and Allegations Against Department of Justice Attorneys
Abstract
The Department of Justice ("Department") proposes to establish a process for reviewing bar complaints and allegations against its attorneys. Under the proposed rule, before a current or former Department lawyer may participate in any investigative steps initiated by the bar disciplinary authority of a State, Territory, or the District of Columbia in response to allegations that a current or former Department attorney violated an ethics rule while engaging in that attorney's federal duties, the Department will have the right to review the allegations in the first instance and shall request that the bar disciplinary authority suspend any parallel investigations until the completion of the Department's review.
Federal Register Source
This document is published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration. Access the full regulatory text, preamble, and docket comments below.
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Other Rules from DOJ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 2026-04390 Federal Register document?
Document 2026-04390 is a Proposed Rule published by the Department of Justice in the Federal Register on March 5, 2026. The Department of Justice ("Department") proposes to establish a process for reviewing bar complaints and allegations against its attorneys. Under the proposed rule, before a current or former Department lawyer may participate in any investigative steps initiated by the bar disciplinary authority of a State, Territory, or the District of Columbia in response to allegations that a current or former Department attorney violated an ethics rule while engaging in that attorney's federal duties, the Department will have the right to review the allegations in the first instance and shall request that the bar disciplinary authority suspend any parallel investigations until the completion of the Department's review. View the original at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/03/05/2026-04390/review-of-state-bar-complaints-and-allegations-against-department-of-justice-attorneys.
Is document 2026-04390 an economically significant rule?
No. Document 2026-04390 is not classified as economically significant under Executive Order 12866. Economically significant rules require OIRA review and are estimated to have impacts of $100 million or more per year.