Every community in the United States has a regulatory body ( normally referred to as a state bar association) that polices attorney perform. When legal representatives are licensed to practice in a state, those legal representatives governed themselves to this authority. Total obligation frequently lies with the greatest court in a state (such as state supreme court). The state bar associations, frequently in consultation with the court, adopt a set of rules that set forth the relevant ethical responsibilities. As of 2013, 48 states have embraced a version of the American Bar Association’s design rules. California is the only state that has not embraced either– rather these states have composed their own rules from scratch. There was once some debate over whether state ethical rules apply to federal prosecutors. The Department of Justice has held differing opinions through various administrations, with the Thornburgh Memo recommending these rules do not apply, and the Reno Rules asserting that they do apply. Now, 28 U.S.C. § 530B offers that federal government attorneys go through the state ethics laws in the state in which they practice.