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Ms. Toad

(38,119 posts)
4. For the umpteenth time - The American Bar Association has zero control over individual attorneys.
Sat Dec 27, 2025, 06:33 PM
13 hrs ago

It is a voluntary association of attorneys. It has no power to discipline an attorney. It has no power to disbar them. Nada. Zip. Zero.

Attorneys are barred by individual states or courts. The bar in a state/court where an attorney is licensed is the only entity with the authority to enforce ethical standards, or hold them accountable.

The code of conduct referenced is a set of model ethical rules proposed by the American Bar Association. States are free to adopt them (or not), or alter them to suit what they believe is needed in their state. To the extent the rules have any force, it is because a state or court system has adopted it - and it is up to them to enforce it.

As to the American Bar Association, it has been speaking out fairly regularly about the Trump administration and the law - e.g.:

https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2025/03/aba-rejects-efforts-to-undermine-courts-and-legal-profession/

They have even filed suit when they believe they have standing to sue - e.g.:

https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2025/06/aba-files-suit-to-halt-govt-intimidation/

But they do not have any right/power to enforce any ethical code against any individual misbehaving attorney (or even a whole host of misbehaving attorneys - e.g. the DOJ)

Pretty sure it is the same with the American Medical Association (since medical licenses are issued by each individual state - not a national group) - but that is not my area of expertise, so I'll let doctors chime in on that front.

People who know nothing about how professional associations, or how attorney (or doctors) are disciplined should educate themselves.

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