Department employees are expected to be aware of, and to comply with, all ethics-related laws, rules, regulations, and policies. As noted above, many of these rules can be found on the website for the Departmental Ethics Office (DEO) at: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/departmental-ethics-office. Department employees may contact their component’s ethics officials for guidance on component-specific rules, policies, and procedures. In addition, attorneys must follow the applicable professional responsibility rules. See 28 C.F.R. Part 77. Each jurisdictions’ bar authority’s website has a link to its rules of professional conduct. The following ethics issues are those which most often recur. Some of these issues also implicate the professional responsibility rules.

1. A. Financial and Personal Conflicts of Interest: For information concerning financial and personal conflicts of interest, go to http://www.justice.gov/jmd/conflicts.
2. B. Outside Activities:While some activities undertaken outside of work create no problems, others require formal approval. For information on federal rules and Department-specific rules on outside activities, including teaching, speaking, writing, the outside practice of law, and pro bono work, go to: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/outside-employment-and-activities. For information on service on civic organizations, professional boards and committees, and state grievance committees, with or without remuneration, contact your DDAEO. Service on state bar committees that address or concern professional conduct rules is only permissible in an official capacity. For AUSAs, to obtain approval for official capacity participation in an outside organization, the request should be sent from the United States Attorney’s Office to General Counsel’s Office, EOUSA, for forwarding to the Associate Deputy Attorney General if appropriate. Other components should contact their DDAEO. Membership in certain boards of directors has been exempted from the prior approval requirement.
3. C. Political Activity (the Hatch Act):For information concerning political activity, go to: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/political-activities. Employees may also consult the website of the Office of Special Counsel, available at: https://osc.gov.
4. D. Misuse of Position: For information concerning misuse of position and government resources, go to: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/misuse-position-and-government-resources.
5. E. Gifts:For information concerning restrictions on gifts, including from outside sources, other employees, or foreign government, go to: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/gifts-and-entertainment.
6. F. Seeking Employment and Post-Government Employment Restrictions:For information concerning restrictions on seeking employment and post-government employment restrictions, go to: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/leaving-government.
7. G. Public Finance and Confidential Financial Disclosure Reports:For information concerning public finance and confidential financial disclosure reports, go to https://www.justice.gov/jmd/financial-disclosure.

[updated January 2021]