Committee On Judicial Ethics

May 18, 2021 | New York Law Journal

A judge whose first-degree relative heads a law enforcement agency must disqualify from all matters involving the agency, including matters where the judge concludes the agency or its personnel have been or will likely be involved. Remittal is not permitted.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

5 minute read

May 17, 2021 | New York Law Journal

Where the judge's spouse's law firm has no involvement whatsoever in the case before the judge and will not share in the legal fees, the judge is not disqualified merely because the judge is aware that one of the litigants is also a current or former client of the judge's spouse's law firm in other matters.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

6 minute read

May 17, 2021 | New York Law Journal

Where a party or attorney has advised the court that their preferred gender pronoun is "they," a judge may not require them to instead use "he" or "she."

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

4 minute read

May 14, 2021 | New York Law Journal

May a judge preside in matters involving an attorney who is the sibling of the judge's close personal friend, where that attorney is merely an "acquaintance" under Opinion 11-125?

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

2 minute read

May 14, 2021 | New York Law Journal

A town justice, who serves as village attorney for a village which is wholly encompassed within the town where the justice presides, may not continue as town justice and village attorney where the town court would be expected to hear all cases arising out of the village.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

5 minute read

May 13, 2021 | New York Law Journal

A judge with personal knowledge that an attorney knowingly assisted a client in effectuating a transfer of disputed real estate under false pretenses must report the misconduct to the appropriate grievance committee.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

6 minute read

May 13, 2021 | New York Law Journal

A full-time judge may not serve on the advisory board of the Center for Court Innovation, given that the Center regularly provides program alternatives to detention and incarceration for criminal defendants.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

7 minute read

May 12, 2021 | New York Law Journal

Once the judge's law clerk's first-degree relative retires and terminates their prior business and financial relationship with a law firm, the judge need not insulate the law clerk from new matters involving that law firm.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

4 minute read

May 12, 2021 | New York Law Journal

Where a new full-time judge was previously a law firm partner and took a loan from the firm's 401(k) profit sharing plan, the judge may remain in the plan temporarily in order to pay back the loan and receive the plan's annual employer matching contribution based on the judge's prior legal work and earnings.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

7 minute read

May 11, 2021 | New York Law Journal

A new full-time judge may engage in activities designed to wind down their prior law practice and collect previously earned legal fees, including billing an assigned counsel program for services "as an attorney" and complying with the requirements of a state administrative agency to obtain payment on previously awarded legal fees.

By Committee on Judicial Ethics

4 minute read