Committee On Judicial Ethic

October 24, 2023 | New York Law Journal

A part-time judge may participate in (1) a county or local task force formed as part of the New York State Climate Smart Communities program and (2) their municipality's strategic investment committee.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

6 minute read

October 23, 2023 | New York Law Journal

May a part-time town justice maintain concurrent full-time employment with the Unified Court System in another county, as a Court Assistant?

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

2 minute read

October 22, 2023 | New York Law Journal

A full-time judge (1) may serve as co-chair of the ACACIA Network, a not-for-profit social services organization, provided the judge does not serve in a court that makes referrals to the organization, but (2) may not serve on a bar association committee on corrections and community reentry on the facts presented.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

8 minute read

October 19, 2023 | New York Law Journal

Is a town justice disqualified from presiding over matters in which the town is represented by a law firm that employs the judge's first-degree relative as an associate?

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

2 minute read

October 18, 2023 | New York Law Journal

Where a housing court judge, who is a shareholder and proprietary lessee in a cooperative apartment building, learns that the building's board of directors has hired a new management company that manages many other properties that are located in the jurisdiction of the judge's court: (1) The judge is not disqualified from presiding in matters where the managing company appears before the judge, but must disclose the relationship on the record.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

5 minute read

October 17, 2023 | New York Law Journal

A village justice who serves in that capacity without compensation (1) may not simultaneously serve as a justice of the supreme court or a judge of the district court but (2) may, subject to any requisite administrative approvals, simultaneously serve as a support magistrate or court attorney-referee.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

4 minute read

October 16, 2023 | New York Law Journal

Where a part-time town justice who is also a full-time superior court law clerk was formerly represented by counsel in a divorce action, but more than two years have elapsed since the attorney-client relationship completely terminated, including payment of legal fees: (1) In town court, the judge need not disqualify or disclose in matters involving the law firm, including the attorney(s) who personally represented the judge, based on a representation that concluded more than two years ago.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

6 minute read

October 15, 2023 | New York Law Journal

A trial court judge may hire a law student for a judicial internship for academic credit while the student is simultaneously employed part-time in a non-legal paid position at an investment bank which has cases before the judge. Assuming the judge can be fair and impartial, the judge may still preside in cases involving the bank, but must disclose to the parties the student's relationship with the bank and insulate the student from those cases.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

5 minute read

October 12, 2023 | New York Law Journal

A full-time judge may accept an invitation from an overseas not-for-profit charitable foundation to speak at an annual conference on a matter concerning the legal system and, under the circumstances, may accept the organization's offer of business class airline travel.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

5 minute read

October 11, 2023 | New York Law Journal

A judge is not disqualified from an Article 78 proceeding in which a media outlet seeks to compel a law enforcement agency to disclose certain information about an inmate pursuant to the Freedom of Information Law, merely because the judge's attorney spouse sent a preservation letter to the same agency on an unrelated matter.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

5 minute read