The New York City Bar Association recently issued a lengthy report calling for a mandatory and enforceable code of ethics for the Supreme Court, which we helped co-author. But one need look no further than the perversely disparate treatment of two federal judges to appreciate the urgent need for reform.

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, 74, became the talk of the internet after asking about how PornHub compared to Playboy Magazine during a hearing on Wednesday regarding Texas H.B. 1181.

The justice asked if Pornhub was "like the old Playboy magazine" with "essays by the modern-day equivalent of Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley Jr.?”

While considering a First Amendment case about access to explicit websites online, Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Samuel Alito appeared to be unfamiliar with websites such as PornHub, asking representing attorneys about the kinds of content available on such websites.

The case, challenging H.B. 1181, raises questions about online content regulation and First Amendment rights, with a decision expected by June 2025.

You have essays there by the modern-day equivalent of Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley Jr.?” the jurist asked to laughter from spectators.