Just Two Federal Law Clerks Filed Complaints Last Year: Most Misconduct Goes Unreported

Legal Accountability Project Founder and President Aliza Shatzman spoke with Above the Law about the massive amount of judicial misconduct underreporting. In 2025, only two federal law clerks filed complaints of judicial misconduct under the Judicial Conduct and Disability Act, despite the judiciary’s own 2023 survey revealing 106 instances of mistreatment. The federal judiciary is perpetrating a fraud upon the public, chilling misconduct complaints, and obfuscating the scope of the problem. Clerks face immense pressure not to report abuse, and judges remain largely immune from consequences. Without transparency and meaningful reform, abusive judges continue unchecked, undermining trust in the courts and the rule of law.