ABA Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice 87d ago

Who holds government lawyers accountable? Mario Sullivan is joined by Bonnie Robin-Vergeer to examine the DOJ’s proposed rule on attorney misconduct, its impact on state bar authority, and what it means for transparency, accountability, and public trust. This urgent Chair Chat highlights a time-sensitive opportunity for the legal community to take action. The Department of Justice is currently accepting public comments on its proposed rule, “Review of State Bar Complaints and Allegations Against Department of Justice Attorneys” (Docket No. DOJ-OAG-2026-0001) [https://www.regulations.gov/docket/DOJ-OAG-2026-0001], with comments due April 6, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET—less than 48 hours away. Details are available at regulations.gov. This is a limited opportunity to engage directly in the rulemaking process and contribute to the public record—your perspective as a member of the legal community is important. As discussed in the program, this proposal raises important questions about the role of state bars and the oversight of Department of Justice attorneys. We encourage you to review the rule and consider submitting a comment through Regulations.gov within the remaining window. Bonnie Robin-Vergeer – Senior Legal Fellow, State Democracy Defenders Fund; Former DOJ Civil Rights Division Appellate Chief Mario A. Sullivan (Moderator) – Chair, ABA Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice; Partner, Johnson & Sullivan, Ltd. -- During the 2025–26 Bar Year, Section Chair Mario A. Sullivan continues CRSJ’s Chair Chat – bringing together leading lawyers, scholars, advocates, and organizers to tackle the most urgent civil rights and rule-of-law issues and share practical strategies for impact. New episodes premiere every other Thursday at 2:00 p.m. ET on our YouTube channel. Subscribe for updates and catch past conversations on-demand. Learn more about CRSJ Chair Chat: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/crsj/resources/on-demand/chair-chat/