Attorney General Jennifer Davenport co-led a coalition of 22 Attorneys General in filing a comment letter on Apr. 7 opposing a proposed Department of Justice rule that would limit state bar disciplinary proceedings involving DOJ attorneys.
The letter argues that the proposed rule could allow the Justice Department to request state bar organizations pause investigations or disciplinary actions against its attorneys, and warns that states refusing such requests may face unspecified federal retaliation. The coalition maintains this could undermine established standards for legal ethics and accountability.
“Attorneys must be held to the highest standards of professional and ethical conduct, not because of where they work, but because of what they represent,” Davenport said. “The Department of Justice is an institution built on the tradition that those who wield the power of the law must do so with unwavering integrity, independence, and fidelity to the truth. This proposed rule seeks to shamefully lower that standard. In New Jersey, we work every day to build public trust in the legal system.”
The coalition’s letter highlights that states have overseen lawyer licensing and regulation since the nation’s founding, with federal law specifying DOJ attorneys are subject to state laws like any other attorney practicing within those states. According to the official website, the New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin aims to protect residents’ lives and property, uphold legal standards, and deliver statewide enforcement and legal support according to its official website. The office extends its services throughout all counties and municipalities according to its official website, influencing public safety through enforcement roles according to its official website.
Davenport was joined in leading this effort by her counterparts from Minnesota, District of Columbia, Colorado, as well as attorneys general from Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina Oregon Rhode Island Virginia Washington.
The New Jersey Attorney General holds statewide authority for enforcing laws and regulating public safety matters under statutory mandate according to its official website. Its services include state legal representation law enforcement oversight crime lab support victim advocacy consumer protection initiatives according to its official website. As a state agency focused on justice it handles representation enforcement regulation consumer protection across New Jersey according to its official website.