What do MRPC Rule 1.12 limitations entail for former judges?

The limitations under MRPC Rule 1.12 for former judges are designed to maintain the integrity of the legal profession and to prevent any appearance of impropriety or conflict of interest. According to this rule, former judges cannot represent clients in matters that they personally adjudicated while serving as a judge. This prohibition aims to prevent any unfair advantage that could arise from their prior knowledge of the case or the parties involved, thereby upholding the principle of fairness in the legal system.

This restriction is rooted in the idea that judges have access to information and insights that are not available to the public or other legal professionals outside of the case. As such, allowing a former judge to take on a role representing clients in these matters could compromise the ethics and the impartiality that is essential to judicial proceedings.

The other options do not accurately reflect the limitations placed on former judges by MRPC Rule 1.12. For instance, serving as an expert witness in cases they have presided over would also conflict with this ethical standard, as would representing clients in matters they adjudicated. While offering legal counsel on unrelated legal issues may be permissible, it does not relate directly to the specific prohibitions under Rule 1.12. Likewise, the requirement to provide pro bono