Regulating Judicial Lobbyists To Reform Supreme Court Ethics

Efforts to improve judicial ethics by addressing misconduct within the courts should also include efforts to improve public confidence in the judiciary by addressing misconduct of those outside of the courts. Supreme Court ethics controversies frequently involve the Justices’ relationships with individuals and organizations perceived as improperly influencing the Court, yet proposed solutions to the issue are usually limited to addressing the conduct of the Justices. This Article argues that the special interests who pay lobbyists to influence federal courts should be subjected to the same lobbying disclosure requirements as the special interests who pay lobbyists to influence the legislative and executive branches of government. Closing this obvious loophole in lobbying laws can result in more awareness of the individuals who seek to influence our courts and more meaningful restrictions on travel and other improper gifts that they provide.