Canon 1: A Federal Public Defender Employee Should Uphold the Integrity and Independence of the Office

An independent and honorable defender system is indispensable to justice in our society. A defender employee should personally observe high standards of conduct so that the integrity and independence of the office are preserved and so that the defender office reflects a devotion to serving the public defender’s clients and the principle of equal justice under law. Defender employees should require adherence to such standards by personnel subject to their direction and control. The provisions of this code should be construed and applied to further these objectives. The standards of this code will not affect or preclude other more stringent standards required by law, by applicable codes of professional responsibility, by court order, or by the federal public defender.