Former U.S. Bankruptcy Judge David Jones must attend ethics instruction as a sanction for engaging in an off-the-record discussion with his romantic partner’s former law firm, ruled Chief Bankruptcy Judge Eduardo Rodriguez on Friday. Rodriguez determined that Jones violated judicial policy by participating in a July 18 interview with members of the Jackson Walker law firm, which prohibits judges from testifying about their official acts without authorization. Rodriguez also accused Jones of acting in bad faith when he argued otherwise.
“Mr. Jones, frankly, knew better,” Rodriguez stated, labeling the former bankruptcy judge’s legal arguments as “contrived.” He ordered Jones, who resigned from the Southern District of Texas U.S. Bankruptcy Court in October 2023, to complete 7.5 hours of ethics training.
The Houston court was thrown into disarray last year after Jones admitted to being in a long-term, undisclosed relationship with Liz Freeman, a former bankruptcy partner at Jackson Walker, a law firm that regularly filed cases in Jones’ court.
In Friday’s ruling, Rodriguez admonished but did not sanction Jackson Walker and its outside lawyers—Jason Boland of Norton Rose Fulbright and prominent Texas litigator Rusty Hardin—as well as Jones’ attorney, Benjamin Finestone of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan.
Spokespersons for Jackson Walker, Boland, and Hardin declined to comment. Jones and Finestone did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The subject matter of the July interview has not been publicly disclosed.
Rodriguez emphasized that the policy Jones violated applies only to current and former judiciary employees and does not prohibit others from requesting such testimony or listening to it. However, Rodriguez criticized the lawyers for engaging in an unauthorized discussion with Jones.
“It is incredulous to this court that well-seasoned attorneys would play with fire like this and proceed on such a legally dubious course of action,” Rodriguez said.
The Office of the U.S. Trustee, the U.S. Department of Justice’s bankruptcy watchdog, is currently attempting to force Jackson Walker to disgorge millions of dollars in legal fees that Jones approved in 33 bankruptcy cases filed by the law firm. Rodriguez is overseeing that case.
In addition to ordering Jones to complete ethics training approved by the state bar, Rodriguez prohibited him from giving any kind of testimony without court permission.
The case is titled In Re: Professional Fee Matters Concerning the Jackson Walker Law Firm, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, No. 23-00645.
Jones is represented by Benjamin Finestone and Joanna Caytas of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan. Jackson Walker is represented by Jason Boland of Norton Rose Fulbright and Russell Hardin of Rusty Hardin & Associates LLP.
