New Mexico Judicial Education Center JEC Home
Court Staff Orientation
Understanding the Court System | Knowing the Rules | Doing the Job | Getting Help
Ethics for Clerks
Knowing the Rules: Ethics for Clerks: Professionalism
Everybody's a Critic

Principles
1. Impartiality
2. Personal Integrity
3. Professionalism
4. Confidentiality
5. Impropriety
6. Appearance of Impropriety
7. Prohibition Against Giving Legal Advice
8. Duty of Service
9. Competency
10. Discrimination
11. Harassment
12. Technology

Resources
California Code of Ethics
Personnel Rules
What Information Can Court Staff Provide?

Court employee Sally is eating lunch with a group in the court lunchroom. Sally has had a difficult time learning her job. When she leaves, the group discusses her personal and professional weaknesses.

Which is the best approach?

1. Remind others that the conversation is inappropriate and could be detrimental to Sally and the department as a whole.
2. Talk about her only after work hours.
3. As long as you discuss only her professional deficiencies and not her personal ones, it's okay.