After Chief Justice John Roberts this week by the Trump administration to impeach judges, social media users falsely claimed that he and other high-level legal professionals are part of a 鈥渟ecretive, invite only club.鈥�
Many questioned the motives of members, hinting at coordinated efforts to oppose President Donald Trump.
Among those named was U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg, who Trump had demanded be removed from the bench for his order blocking deportation flights that the president was carrying out by invoking from 18th century law.
But the group in question 鈥� the American Inns of Court 鈥� is hardly secretive given its large public presence, and there is no evidence that members are involved in nefarious activities targeting Trump. Roberts is no longer an active member and Boasberg is the president of a chapter that is no longer affiliated with the parent association.
Here's a closer look at the facts.
CLAIM: Roberts, Boasberg and other powerful legal professionals are part of a secret, invite-only club that is working against Trump.
THE FACTS: This is false. Roberts was a member of the Edward Coke Appellate Inn of Court chapter of the organization prior to his confirmation to the Supreme Court in 2005, but he is not currently an active member of the organization, according to Executive Director Malinda Dunn.
Boasberg of the Edward Bennett Williams Inn of Court, but the chapter disaffiliated from the parent association about 10 years ago when it decided it no longer wanted to pay dues to the national group, Dunn said. He was an active member prior to the chapter's decision to operate independently.
Information on the American Inns of Court is online. Chapters also have their own websites, which often include details about programs they host for members, typically focused on networking, education and mentorship. Dunn said that members have a wide range of political opinions, but that the organization itself is 鈥渁ssiduously apolitical.鈥�
Some on social media, however, baselessly claimed that there is more to the group than meets the eye.
鈥淚t has been revealed that Chief Justice John Roberts is part of an elite, invite-only group called the American Inns of Court, alongside some of the most openly anti-Trump judges in D.C.,鈥� reads one X post.
And yet a check of other members reveals a diverse group. Many current and former Supreme Court justices have been members of the American Inns of Court, according to Dunn, including Sandra Day O'Connor, Neil Gorsuch, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Ketanji Brown Jackson and Clarence Thomas.
Inns of Court have existed in the United Kingdom for hundreds of years. The American system, founded in 1980 out of discussions among legal professionals, including Chief Justice Warren Burger, is loosely based on this concept from across the pond.
The American Inns of Court states that it is 鈥渄edicated to professionalism, ethics, civility, and excellence鈥� and that its mission is to 鈥渋nspire the legal community to advance the rule of law by achieving the highest level of professionalism through example, education, and mentoring.鈥�
O'Connor said in a that 鈥渕aintaining and improving an ethics of professionalism is what the American Inns of Court are all about.鈥�
There are more than 300 active chapters across the U.S. Each one manages its own membership and some are limited to practitioners in a certain legal field. Roberts鈥� former chapter, for example, 鈥渕embers are elected to the Inn after being nominated by a current member鈥� and that they must be 鈥渁ctively engaged in appellate practice.鈥�
Dunn said chapters are advised to ensure that their members include legal professionals with different levels of experience. Some may hold membership drives to recruit new faces.
Roberts is currently an in The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, an inn of court in the U.K. This is a purely ceremonial role that, according to Dunn. British inns of court will always offer such a position to Supreme Court justices when they are confirmed, she said.
Representatives for Roberts and Boasberg did not respond to a request for comment.
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Melissa Goldin, The Associated Press
