The Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics responds to written inquiries from New York state's approximately 3,600 judges and justices, as well as hundreds of judicial hearing officers, support magistrates, court attorney-referees, and judicial candidates (both judges and non-judges seeking election to judicial office). The committee interprets the Rules Governing Judicial Conduct (22 NYCRR Part 100) and, to the extent applicable, the Code of Judicial Conduct. The committee consists of 27 current and retired judges, and is co-chaired by the Honorable Margaret Walsh, a justice of the supreme court, and the Honorable Lillian Wan, a court of claims judge and acting supreme court justice.

Digest: Absent a legal requirement to do so, a town justice must not sign an acknowledgment form attached to the town's sexual harassment policy, where (a) the acknowledgment contains an indirect pledge by the judge to be bound by the policy's terms, (b) the town's policy sets forth local procedures and reporting requirements and purports to subject all town managers, supervisors and employees to local discipline, and (c) the Unified Court System has adopted a sexual harassment policy applicable to "all judges," which conflicts with the town's policy.

Rules: 22 NYCRR 100.1; 100.2(A); 100.3(B)(1); 100.3(B)(4); 100.3(C)(1)-(2); Opinions 19-80; 18-161; 16-55; NY St Off of Ct Admin Sexual Harassment Policy and Procedure Rev. 11-17.