As members of the legal profession and officers of the court, attorneys owe a duty of candor to the courts as well as to their clients. Attorneys’ ethical conduct is most closely scrutinized in the context of the legal services they provide to clients and their conduct in the courtroom. But state bars have long recognized that attorneys are subject to greater scrutiny, even for conduct in their private lives, due to their unique professional role.

Indeed, both the California and ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct recognize that an attorney is a “public citizen having special responsibility for the quality of justice.” For this reason, the bar or even members of the public can pursue grievances against attorneys based on their conduct and statements outside of a courtroom or unrelated to an existing or prospective client relationship.