Code of Conduct

1. Preamble

Justice professionals occupy a position of extraordinary public trust. The authority to investigate, prosecute, adjudicate, analyze, and enforce the law carries a corresponding obligation to exercise that authority with integrity, impartiality, and respect for the constitutional rights of all persons.

This Code sets out the ethical principles and professional standards that every USCLI member is expected to uphold, both within USCLI and in the broader exercise of their professional duties. It is written to reflect the collective judgment of the professions it serves, not the directive of any single authority.

2. Scope

This Code will apply to every USCLI member without exception. Obligations do not depend on rank, discipline, tenure, or the date a member joined. It covers USCLI events, communications, and governance, and any professional context in which a member's USCLI affiliation is referenced or implied.

Members serving in elected or appointed USCLI roles are held to a heightened standard. Their actions carry the weight of the organization, and violations by them may be treated as aggravating factors.

3. Core ethical principles

These principles are the foundation on which every other provision rests. They are also our core values.

3.1 Integrity and truthfulness

• Maintain honesty and accuracy in all professional communications, reports, testimony, and documentation.
• Never falsify, fabricate, or materially misrepresent credentials, experience, or qualifications.
• Correct errors and misinformation promptly on discovery, regardless of personal consequence.
• Do not omit material facts when the omission would create a false impression.

3.2 Fidelity to the rule of law

• Uphold the Constitution of the United States and the constitutions and laws of the states in which you practice.
• Respect due process, equal protection, the presumption of innocence, and the separation of powers.
• Never use professional authority to circumvent legal protections or deny any person their lawful rights.
• Recognize that fidelity to the law sometimes requires restraint, even when broader action seems expedient.

3.3 Impartiality and fairness

• Perform professional duties without discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, socioeconomic status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristic.
• Guard against implicit and explicit bias in professional judgment.
• Challenge discriminatory conduct when you observe it.

3.4 Professional competence

• Maintain all required licenses, certifications, and continuing-education requirements.
• Practice only within the scope of your competence, training, and lawful authority.
• Acknowledge limitations honestly; consult, refer, or decline when competence is lacking.
• Stay informed of developments in law, technology, and methodology relevant to your discipline.

3.5 Confidentiality

• Protect privileged, classified, and confidential information obtained in the course of your duties.
• Respect attorney-client privilege, investigative confidentiality, and evidentiary protections.
• Maintain the integrity of evidence and chain of custody at all times.
• Never exploit access to confidential information for personal, financial, or political advantage.

3.6 Accountability

• Accept responsibility for your actions and decisions, including errors of judgment.
• Cooperate fully and truthfully with any investigation into alleged misconduct.
• Do not conceal, minimize, or shift responsibility for professional misconduct.
• Support the systems of oversight that sustain public trust.

4. Professional standards

4.1 Honest representation of qualifications

Never misrepresent your qualifications, licenses, certifications, education, rank, title, or experience, and promptly correct any record that has become inaccurate, including after a suspension, revocation, or lapse.

4.2 Cross-professional collaboration

Respect the distinct expertise each discipline contributes. Engage in constructive dialogue, refrain from disparaging other professions, and seek cross-disciplinary input when a matter falls between competencies. No single profession holds a monopoly on justice.

4.3 Use of USCLI affiliation

Do not state or imply that USCLI endorses any business, product, political position, or individual. Distinguish personal views from USCLI positions, and use the USCLI name and mark only as authorized. Never present USCLI membership as a license, certification, or government credential.

4.4 Conflicts of interest

Disclose financial interests and personal relationships that could influence, or appear to influence, your judgment in USCLI matters, and recuse yourself from decisions in which a conflict exists or may reasonably be perceived.

5. Prohibited conduct

The following conduct is prohibited and will result in investigation and possible suspension pending the outcome:

• Harassment, bullying, and stalking, in person or through any channel.
• Hate speech, extremism, and incitement to violence against any person or group.
• Credential fraud: fabricating, altering, or omitting material facts about credentials, rank, employment, or disciplinary history.
• Unauthorized disclosure of classified, privileged, sealed, or otherwise protected information.
• Misuse of member information to monitor, track, or gather intelligence on any person.
• Corruption, bribery, or abuse of authority for personal gain or to influence outcomes.
• Impairment by alcohol or drugs that materially affects professional judgment or conduct.
• Sexual misconduct, including harassment and unwelcome advances, at USCLI events or in professional contexts.
• Retaliation against anyone who reports misconduct in good faith or cooperates with an investigation.
• Unsolicited commercial solicitation or spam directed at other members.

6. Technology and artificial intelligence

Technology must serve justice, not replace the human judgment on which it depends.

• Keep meaningful human oversight of every decision that affects a person's rights, liberty, or professional standing, whether or not AI tools were involved.
• Never delegate final authority on consequential matters to an automated system.
• Understand a tool's capabilities and limits before relying on its output, and validate outputs against established standards and known facts.
• Disclose AI-generated or AI-assisted work product where law, court rule, or professional standard requires it, or where the distinction is material.
• Maintain chain of custody and evidentiary standards for digitally processed evidence, and guard against algorithmic bias and data manipulation.
• Weigh the civil-liberties and privacy implications of surveillance, biometric, and predictive technologies before adopting them.

7. Social media and public communications

• Members may identify themselves as USCLI members in public, but must make clear that the views expressed are their own unless authorized to speak for USCLI.
• Do not disclose internal USCLI deliberations or Ethics Committee proceedings without authorization.
• Remember that public statements by justice professionals carry particular weight. Exercise judgment about their effect on pending cases, investigations, and the rights of the people involved.
• Do not use public channels to sidestep the reporting process in this Code.

8. Reporting and whistleblower protection

8.1 Duty to report

Members have an obligation to report known or reasonably suspected violations of this Code. Conduct that constitutes a crime must be reported to the appropriate law enforcement authority.

8.2 How to report

Write to ethics@uscli.org with as much factual detail as you can: dates, places, people involved, and any documents. Incomplete information should not stop you from reporting.

8.3 Anti-retaliation

No one may be retaliated against for a good-faith report, for cooperating with an investigation, or for taking part in disciplinary proceedings. Retaliation includes threats, harassment, professional sabotage, social ostracism, and interference with employment. It is itself a serious violation of this Code.

8.4 False reports

Knowingly filing a false or malicious report is a serious violation. A good-faith report that is not substantiated is not a false report.

9. Enforcement

Once membership opens, this Code will be enforced by an Ethics Committee drawn from across the disciplines, so that no single profession dominates. Committee members will serve fixed terms and recuse themselves when conflicted.

• Acknowledgment of every report within 48 hours, and a preliminary review within ten business days.
• Notice and an opportunity to respond before any finding is made.
• Findings based on a preponderance of the evidence.
• Proportionate sanctions, from a written warning, required training, probation, or suspension up to termination of membership, and referral to licensing boards or law enforcement where warranted.
• Appeal within 30 days to an independent panel of members who took no part in the original decision.

10. Amendments

This Code is a living document. Material amendments will be published with at least 30 days for comment before adoption, and, once membership opens, will require approval through USCLI's governance process. A complete version history will be kept.

Those who serve justice must themselves be just. This Code is our commitment to that principle.