Donald J. Trump - possibly the greatest of all time - at getting lawyers to violate their oaths of office
26 April 2025, updated 27 April 2025
Donald J. Trump may be among the greatest of all time at getting his lawyers to violate their oaths of office.
As noted previously, every new lawyer takes an oath to support and defend the Constitution. This requires respecting the authority of the courts as an independent branch of government whose orders must be followed. While we are expected to advocate zealously for our clients, we are also officers of the court, meaning honesty in judicial proceedings is not optional, but mandatory.
As lawyers, we constantly face the temptation to push the boundaries of truth or the law to benefit our clients. However, most of us recognize the professional risks involved and hold the line.
Yet Donald J. Trump has repeatedly managed to persuade his attorneys to lie in court and flout the Constitution and the legal processes, even though his previous lawyers have faced serious disciplinary consequences, including suspension and disbarment.
Below is my listing (see also here) of known disciplinary actions that have been finalized or are still pending (these processes can take years). Please email me at Nat@PathologyOutlines.com with any updates, corrections or additions.
Lawyers who claimed that Trump won the 2020 election:
Stephanie Lambert Juntilla, status
Lawyers disciplined for other reasons:
Michael Cohen - due to criminal convictions in 2018
Table made by ChatGPT using the above information:
Other lawyers were not formally disciplined but had to pay sanctions for filing frivolous cases.
Some cases were dismissed: William Barr, former US Attorney General and Emily Newman.
As noted previously, it appears that Attorney General Pam Bondi, Vice President JD Vance and attorneys in the Department of Justice and elsewhere in the Trump administration are violating their attorney oaths. They are at risk of discipline for dishonesty to the Courts or for suggesting that courts do not have the power to disagree with the Executive branch, which is a clear disregard of the Constitution.
What were these lawyers thinking? Why would they risk their professional careers and so blatantly violate their oaths? Whatever the reason, it is impossible to ignore the extraordinary influence Donald J. Trump has in persuading intelligent attorneys to act so recklessly on his behalf.
The index to my prior essays (mostly post 5 November 2024) is here.
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