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 28 current and retired judges, and is co-chaired by the Honorable Debra L. Givens, an acting justice of the supreme court in Erie County, and the Honorable Lillian Wan, an associate justice of the appellate division, second department.

Digest: (1) Subject to generally applicable limitations, a judge may attend meetings of not-for-profit civic or charitable organizations to discuss the judge's experience on the bench and may invite attendees to observe the court in session.  (2) A judge who is not a candidate for election or re-election to judicial office within the applicable window period may not purchase media advertisements for the judge's upcoming speaking engagements.  (3) A judge may not record a public service announcement for a local radio station about a plea-by-mail program for parking tickets in the judge's court.