Committee On Judicial Ethics

August 11, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A full-time judge who has co-authored a screenplay on a topic unrelated to the law may not use the judge's judicial title to solicit agents and movie producers for the screenplay, and should likewise instruct the judge's co-authors not to use the judge's judicial title in promoting the screenplay.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

4 minute read

August 08, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A judge may serve on the board of a not-for-profit organization dedicated to maintaining a local park and providing educational and cultural programs for the community.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

2 minute read

August 07, 2024 | New York Law Journal

(1) A part-time judge may serve on the legislative committee of a lawyers' association, provided its agenda and activities are limited to improvement of the law, the legal system, or the administration of justice. (2) A town justice who previously provided legal services to the town must disqualify in all matters in which the town is a party for a period of two years from the termination of the representation. The disqualification is subject to remittal.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

6 minute read

August 06, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A town justice may not permit his/her attorney assistant to accept part-time employment in the District Attorney's office in the same county.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

4 minute read

August 05, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A judge may, subject to administrative approval, designate a publicly available folder in the court clerk's office to contain duplicate copies of the court's non-sealed written criminal decisions in chronological order.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

3 minute read

August 04, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A judge may sign a family tree affidavit for the estate of the judge's long-time close friend, based upon facts within the judge's personal knowledge.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

2 minute read

August 01, 2024 | New York Law Journal

Where a retired judge's former law clerk worked for the inquiring judge in a limited capacity for four months before returning to private practice, the judge need not disclose or disqualify in matters involving the retired judge's former law clerk. The judge may also appoint the former law clerk as attorney for the child.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

4 minute read

July 31, 2024 | New York Law Journal

1) A part-time judge who is a private investigator (a) may conduct surveillance and write reports for school districts in another county concerning extended sick leave employees, but (b) may not conduct investigations for a college regarding allegations of sexual harassment/assault. (2) A part-time judge may, as an instructor for a private company, present training to law enforcement regarding implicit bias and other types of biases.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

7 minute read

July 30, 2024 | New York Law Journal

A judge may not participate as a panelist in a bar association's Continuing Legal Education program about a recently settled civil action in which the judge presided, together with attorneys who appeared in the case, unless: (1) the time for appeals has expired; (2) no collateral proceedings are reasonably foreseeable; and (3) the panel includes attorneys from both the plaintiff's side and the defense side.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

5 minute read

July 29, 2024 | New York Law Journal

(1) A judicial candidate may use the ActBlue online payment system to purchase tickets to attend a variety of political fund-raising events within the applicable window period, subject to the usual limitations on price and number of tickets for each event. (2) The candidate must exercise caution to avoid adding an optional tip or agreeing to make a recurring payment, and should carefully review the online payment screen for any note or indication that a portion of their payment will be sent to additional recipients or used for a purpose other than the political event for which the candidate intends to purchase tickets.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

7 minute read