The Louisiana Supreme Court has adopted a round of amendments to the Louisiana Code of Judicial Conduct, touching Canons 2, 3, 4, and 7. The changes took effect immediately upon signing and will stay in place until the Court modifies them by future order. For lawyers and judges alike, take a look at what’s changed and why:
References and letters of recommendation. Judges are now expressly permitted to serve as personal references or write letters of recommendation based on their own personal knowledge. That includes using official letterhead, as long as doing so wouldn’t reasonably be perceived as an attempt to exert judicial influence. This clarifies an area that previously left many judges guessing. A judge is still forbidden from testifying voluntarily as a character witness.
Courtroom photography and recording. The Court updated the provisions governing recordings made in the courtroom, clarifying when recording is permissible for educational purposes. At the same time, it reaffirmed the existing restriction on publicly broadcasting court proceedings without Supreme Court authorization.
Cooperation with disciplinary investigations. The amendments establish a clearer obligation for judges to cooperate with disciplinary investigations, reinforcing accountability within the judiciary.
Recusal. The standard for recusation was revised to align more closely with existing Louisiana law and Supreme Court rules, tightening up consistency between the Code and other governing authority on when a judge must step aside from a case.
Communication with other branches of government. Judges may now more clearly communicate with executive and legislative officials on matters affecting the law and the administration of justice — a provision that speaks to the judiciary’s role in the broader legislative and policy process without crossing into improper advocacy.
Political activity. The Code’s provisions on partisan political activity were also updated, refining the boundaries of what judges and judicial candidates can and cannot do politically.
Taken together, these amendments align the Code with other Louisiana authority, and give judges clearer answers to questions that come up in practice (Can I write a recommendation letter? Can I talk to a legislator about a pending bill affecting the courts?). For practitioners, the recusal and disciplinary-cooperation changes are probably the most consequential, as they touch directly on how cases get assigned and how judicial misconduct gets investigated.
The Court’s order is effective now, so judges and lawyers should treat the revised Canons as current law.
