Mandate: To increase public awareness that the rule of law, applied by an independent judiciary, is the cornerstone of our democracy; to promptly alert the Executive Committee to actions or efforts that undermine the rule of law or its enforcement by fair and impartial courts at the state, province and federal level; to propose immediate responses to such actions or efforts for Executive Committee consideration; and to engage all Fellows and educate the public in protecting and defending the rule of law and the independent judiciary upon which it depends.

The Rule of Law Committee was previously known as the Judicial Independence Committee.

Read the College’s statements related to judicial independence.

Committee Members

David R. Johnson

Member

James Scott Kreamer

Member

Roberto Martinez

Member

A. Howard Matz

Member

Hon. Carolyn S. Ostby

Member

Thomas C. Riney

Member

William W. Taylor III

Member

Kent E. Thomson

Member

Kathleen M. Trafford

Member

T. John Ward

Member

Committee Resources

Related Resources
Threats to Impeach Judges for Judicial Decisions Undermine the Rule of Law

Any effort to diminish the independence of the decision-making process undermines a vital element of our judicial system.

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Recommendations for a Senate Special Committee on Judicial Nominations

A leading responsibility of the American College of Trial Lawyers is to educate the public on the judiciary’s role in protecting the rule of law. The committee recommends eleven measures to guide the Senate in securing needed reform.

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The Need to Promote and Defend Fair and Impartial Courts

In this report, a sequel to Judicial Independence: A Cornerstone of Democracy Which Must Be Defended, the College looks back at the past decade to evaluate the collective efforts of the College and others in our profession to meet the goals the 2006 Report set out.

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Judicial Independence: A Cornerstone of Democracy Which Must Be Defended

Any perceived threat to judicial independence should summon the legal profession to action. Lawyers must recognize genuine threats to judicial independence and, when they arise, call attention to them and confront them.

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