# Costa Rica legal and legislative ethics standards

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/costa-rica-legal-and-legislative-ethics-standards
> Updated: 2026-08-19T00:46:05.000Z. Sources: 2. Developments: 2.

In Costa Rica, recent developments have emphasized the intersection of legal professional standards and public service ethics.

Initial guidance for legal professionals focused on strengthening procedural rigor in administrative lawsuits and maintaining high ethical standards. This included warnings against the uncritical use of artificial intelligence and a call for lawyers in public office to uphold constitutional fidelity and separate personal interests from public responsibilities.

Following these calls for heightened standards, Deputy José Miguel Villalobos announced his decision to voluntarily suspend his membership with the Colegio de Abogados y Abogadas de Costa Rica. This move aims to cease his legal practice while serving in the Legislative Assembly, aligning with calls for legislators to dedicate themselves to their duties on a full-time basis.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-19: Costa Rica Deputy José Miguel Villalobos to suspend legal practice

Costa Rican Deputy José Miguel Villalobos will suspend his legal practice to focus on full-time legislative duties, calling for similar restrictions on other external professional activities.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/costa-rica-deputy-jos-miguel-villalobos-to-suspend-legal-practice

### 2026-08-01: Costa Rica calls on lawyers to strengthen ethics and procedural rigor

Costa Rican lawyers are urged to adopt precise drafting practices and uphold ethical standards, especially when serving in public office.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/costa-rica-calls-on-lawyers-to-strengthen-ethics-and-procedural-rigor

---
Cite as: Costa Rica legal and legislative ethics standards. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/costa-rica-legal-and-legislative-ethics-standards