Rule 8.2 Judicial and legal officials

Lawyers can criticize judges and other legal officials, but they can't lie about them. This rule says a lawyer cannot make false statements about a judge's honesty or qualifications if the lawyer knows the statement is false or didn't bother to check if it was true. This applies to judges, other court officials, public legal officers, and even people running for these positions.

The idea behind this rule is to protect the public's trust in the legal system. Lawyers have a unique position because people often listen to what they say about judges and courts. If lawyers spread false rumors or made up claims about a judge's integrity, it could unfairly damage that judge's reputation and make people lose faith in the courts, even if the claims aren't true.

The rule also covers lawyers who want to become judges themselves. If a lawyer runs for judicial office, they must follow the rules in the Code of Judicial Conduct, which sets additional standards for how judicial candidates should behave during their campaigns.