GROUP WOULD BAR JUDGES FROM JOINING "DISCRIMINATORY GROUPS": From the Saint Paul Pioneer Press

Judges' affiliations outside the courthouse can color the public's perception of justice as much as their rulings in the courtroom.

So when a group of gay and lesbian lawyers discovered that the state's judicial canons that spell out ethical standards didn't forbid judges' memberships in organizations that discriminate based on sexual orientation or disability, the group's members knew they needed to act.

Leaders of the Minnesota Lavender Bar Association say there's no epidemic of judges joining hate or anti-gay groups. But gay and lesbian lawyers say the canon needs to be clear so all groups that are afforded equal protection under Minnesota's Human Rights Act can take cases of discrimination to court and trust that judges are neutral in both their personal and professional lives.

Now the state Supreme Court is considering a petition drafted by the Minnesota State Bar Association based on a proposal by the Lavender group that would clarify the canon to include sexual orientation, disability and protected groups listed under Minnesota law, which bars discrimination on sexual orientation.

But the draft language doesn't add "sexual orientation" to the canon. Rather, it takes out the current list barring judges from joining groups that discriminate on race, sex, religion or national origin and replaces it with general language that forbids affiliations with any group that practices unlawful discrimination.

Despite the national fervor over gay rights, St. Paul attorney and Lavender co-chairwoman Celeste Culberth said the canon change has sparked no controversy among Minnesota's legal community because it's about fairness, not special rights or protections.

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