Siskiyou County Bar Association (SCBA)

“The rule of law is a set of principles, or ideals, for ensuring an orderly and just society.”

Along with the American Bar Association, the California State Bar, and local Bar Associations throughout California and the nation, the Siskiyou County Bar Association hereby reasserts its commitment to upholding the rule of law both among its members and in its relationships with members of the public.

The Siskiyou County Bar Association exists to promote  the advancement of the ethical and competent practice of law; to  support greater access to the legal system; and to protect the public by ensuring its members comply with all licensing requirements set by the State Bar of California. To achieve these objectives, the Siskiyou County Bar Association acts in accordance with certain fundamental principles that define the legal profession and are central to our mission. Specifically:

1. Attorneys have an ethical duty to provide competent and diligent representation to clients, regardless of how unpopular or controversial their causes may be.
   
2. Attorneys must exercise independent professional judgment, free from external pressures or influences that might compromise their representation.
3. Attorneys must not reject, based on personal considerations, the cause of the defenseless or oppressed.
4. All attorneys swear an oath to uphold the United States and California Constitutions, and to faithfully discharge the duties of an attorney to the best of their knowledge and ability.
   
5. In both the federal and state legal systems, courts determine the meaning of the law, and all attorneys, including those in other branches of the government, have an obligation to comply with court orders.

These core principles, embodied in the Rules of Professional Conduct and the State Bar Act, are not merely aspirational. Instead, they are essential to the rule of law and the administration of justice.

When any action, regardless of its source, discourages or penalizes attorneys for representing certain clients or causes, it raises serious concerns about the ability of the legal profession to fulfill its obligations. The independence of the legal profession is a cornerstone of our justice system.

Recent actions by the executive branch of the federal government threaten these core principles. For example, the executive branch has recently directed government agencies to revoke law firm employees’ security clearances; to limit access by certain law firms to federal buildings and employees; to refrain from hiring employees of specified law firms; and to require federal contractors to disclose any business with targeted law firms. Additionally, the executive branch has signed executive orders and negotiated agreements adversely affecting certain law firms simply because those firms have represented clients and taken positions in cases that are unpopular with the executive branch.

Such actions directly imperil the ability of lawyers at these firms to competently represent their clients. These actions also have a chilling effect on the availability of competent legal counsel to represent clients unpopular with the executive branch. This effect may be particularly harmful for those who lack economic means and rely on pro bono representation to access legal services. In fact, the threat to the legal system resulting from actions targeting law firms is serious enough that United States District Court Judge Beryl Howell on May 2, 2025, permanently enjoined enforcement of such an executive order “to protect the independence of counsel to represent their clients vigorously and zealously, without fear of retribution from the government simply for doing the job of a lawyer.”

The Siskiyou County Bar Association joins the California State Bar in reaffirming that all lawyers must be permitted to exercise professional judgment and perform their ethical duties without fear of reprisal. This position is not partisan. It is  foundational to the advancement of ethical and competent practice of law and the preservation of the rule of law.

Both the Siskiyou County Bar Association and the State Bar of California encourage all California attorneys, consistent with their oaths to uphold the United States and California Constitutions and to faithfully discharge their duties as attorneys, to speak out in support of the rule of law and everyone’s right to competent legal counsel.

You can find more information about the importance of the rule of law to the American government and the American justice system by visiting the Rule of Law page on the website of the American Bar Association.

--See Am. Bar Ass’n., Rule of Law, https://www.americanbar.org/groups/public_education/resources/rule-of-law/ (last visited Sept. 21, 2025).