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.

Facts/Issue: A judge has been invited to speak at an annual dinner meeting of the League of Women Voters at which the chapter will elect new officers. The event is not a fund-raiser. As a guest speaker, the judge’s dinner would be free of charge. In response to the organizers’ initial suggestion, the judge has already declined to speak about the Equal Rights Amendment. However, the judge asks if he/she may speak generally about the state constitutional amendment process, the role of the branches of government, and their respective checks and balances.