Recently, judges have come under fire for politically unpopular rulings that have caused some experts to fear for a loss of judicial independence. Now, more judges and judicial candidates are speaking out about controversial legal, moral and political issues of the day. Many times these public statements clash with the judicial code of ethics.

This course examines the tension between the compelling interests in maintaining the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary and the constitutional right of free expression. This course presents participants with questions and fact patterns taken from real state and federal opinions.