Committee On Judicial Ethics

July 20, 2021 | New York Law Journal

A judge may not provide a biographical video for use in a not-for-profit organization's social media campaign, where the required release and the overall context create an impression that the judge's video will be used to promote the organization and its gala fund-raising event.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

7 minute read

July 20, 2021 | New York Law Journal

Provided a judicial candidate determines they will receive fair value for the expenditure, the candidate may permit their campaign committee to purchase subscriptions during the window period to a web-based service that (1) provides information on potential donors for use by the candidate's campaign committee for a flat monthly fee and/or (2) allows the judge's campaign committee to communicate live with voters by telephone or text for a flat per-call fee.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

5 minute read

July 19, 2021 | New York Law Journal

A full-time judge who worked for an insurance company more than a decade ago and has a pension benefit associated with that company is disqualified when that former employer appears as an insurer of a party in a lawsuit pending before the judge. However, the disqualification is subject to remittal.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

3 minute read

July 19, 2021 | New York Law Journal

Where a town justice and town court clerk hold ethically permissible second positions within the town government, they may attend and participate in monthly town board meetings in their non-judicial/non-court capacities and be listed on the agenda in those capacities.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

8 minute read

July 16, 2021 | New York Law Journal

Where a full-time judge solely owns certain rental properties through a solely owned limited liability company, the judge may advertise those properties via social media or other lawful means, provided such advertisements do not mention the judge's judicial status.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

8 minute read

July 16, 2021 | New York Law Journal

While a judge's law clerk is being represented by a law firm, the judge must insulate the law clerk from all matters involving that law firm and disclose the law clerk's conflict and insulation when that law firm or any of its attorneys appear. After disclosure, the judge may preside if the judge is satisfied that they can be fair and impartial, even if a party objects.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

3 minute read

June 25, 2021 | New York Law Journal

A full-time judge may volunteer as an editor for a not-for-profit poetry journal.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

3 minute read

June 25, 2021 | New York Law Journal

A full-time judge may accept a grant from a not-for-profit arts services organization and use it, to the extent legally permissible, to rent space for and/or provide honoraria to poets, in order to provide free poetry readings to the community.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

4 minute read

June 24, 2021 | New York Law Journal

Whether a judge may order the disqualification of an attorney because of an ethical conflict, instead of deciding a pending motion filed by the attorney on behalf of the attorney's client, is a question of law which this Committee therefore has no authority to address.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

2 minute read

June 24, 2021 | New York Law Journal

Where a judge's spouse ceased employment with a law firm approximately five years ago and has subsequently appeared as opposing counsel to the spouse's former law partner, the judge need not disqualify in unrelated proceedings involving the spouse's former law partner or law firm.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

9 minute read