CBA Record January-February 2024

PRESIDENT’S PAGE BY RAY J. KOENIG III Promoting an Independent and Ethical Judiciary

The Chicago Bar Association www.chicagobar.org

President Ray J. Koenig III

First Vice President John C. Sciaccotta

implemented its protocol to advocate on their behalf. Second, the CBA recently passed a reso lution urging the U.S. Supreme Court to adopt a binding code of judicial ethics. The resolution called on the Court to develop its own binding code of conduct similar to the Judicial Conference of the United States Code of Conduct, which lays out rules for the rest of the country’s federal judges regarding extrajudicial activities, financial matters, and other conduct. Notably, in response to the leadership of the CBA and, importantly, the ABA, the Supreme Court thereafter adopted its own code of ethics, albeit one subject to great criticism. Third, the CBA, along with our col leagues from bars across the world, stated our support of the Mexican Bar Associa tion in light of recent actions by Mexi co’s executive and legislative branches that jeopardized the security of Mexico’s Supreme Court. The concern stemmed from a recent legislative decision to approve the dissolution of 13 trusts of the federal judiciary and to limit the court’s ability to provide benefits to its opera tional staff. Without that staff, the court will be unable to function adequately. Those actions threaten judicial indepen dence and block the checks and balances needed to temper excessive overreach by any one branch. The CBA took these actions on your behalf because the importance of an inde pendent judiciary cannot be overstated as: • a restraint on the powers of the executive and legislative branches of government. It ensures that no single branch becomes too powerful and that there is a system of checks and balances in place.

Second Vice President Kathryn C. Liss

Secretary Trisha Rich Treasurer Nina Fain

Immediate Past President Timothy S. Tomasik

Executive Director Beth McMeen

T he Chicago Bar Association has long valued and promoted judi cial independence in Illinois, the United States, and internationally. In fact, one of our three stated objectives is to “increase the usefulness of the legal profes sion in promoting the due administration of justice and the public good.” Clearly embedded within that is the promotion of an independent judiciary (see our pur poses and objectives at www.chicagobar. org/CBA/About). To that end, the CBA has recently taken leadership action on three specific issues of importance. First, in response to the Chicago Tribune’s series of articles on the disposition of murder cases by Cook County judges, we stood behind the judges and criticized the Tribune for what we saw as incomplete and unjust analy sis. Our concern with such unwarranted editorializing is that it erodes public con fidence and weakens the administration of justice. Because it is unethical for judges to answer criticism of their actions by per sonally appearing in the media regarding pending or impending matters, the CBA

BOARD OF MANAGERS Louis G. Apostol Tracy Brammeier Margaret Mendenhall Casey Naderh Elrabadi Anthony F. Fata Josie Gough Cynthia S. Grandfield Brian Haussmann Justice Margaret Stanton McBride Peter McNamara John Mitchell Jeffrey Moskowitz Judge Mary Rowland

Eirene N. Salvi Brendon Stark Kevin Thompson

Judge Allen P. Walker Matthew P. Walsh II

6 JanuaryFebruary 2024