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[lovingmao]

Just wondering whether there is such kind of law preventing a former judge from practicing law in the same area. Let's say a former ITC (international trade commission) judge resigned, immediately got into a patent law firm, got involved in an ITC case. Is that legal or ethical?

[bleedingpen]

so long as the judge isn't taking on cases in the private sector in which they had previously been asked to adjudicate.

[Wiscagent]

I don't know about judges, but former congressmen and state legislators routinely become lobbyists for corporations.

[NJ Patent1]

See http://patentexaminer.org/2011/10/east-texas-judge-who-oversaw-patent-cases-will-step-down-start-litigating-them

[2ndcareer]

Technically, it would be a violation of professional code of conduct for a former judge (judicial or administrative) to represent a client in a matter they previously involved in.  (You are required to disclose your previous involvement to the court/government).

However, there are special waivers one can obtain from the government/court to allow exceptional cases, where perhaps one did not participate substantively in the case previously.

That said, there are firms that hire "consultants", where one does not directly represent the client, but this kind of work is ethically questionable, because you might be violating confidentiality over information you viewed previously as a judge.