The Committee on Judicial Ethics responds to written inquiries from New York state’s approximately 3,400 judges, who serve both full- and part-time. The committee’s opinions interpret the Rules Governing Judicial Conduct (22NYCRR, Part 100) and the Code of Judicial Conduct. The committee, comprised of 27 current and retired judges and headed by former associate justice George D. Marlow of the Appellate Division, also answers inquiries about proper campaign conduct from candidates for elective judicial office. The New York Law Journal publishes selected recent opinions of the committee.
Digest: A full-time judge may generally publicize his/her book and participate in book signing and other promotional events the publisher organizes, but where the work is a children’s book unrelated to the law, the judge may not personally participate in promotions that specifically target attorneys or the legal profession. Thus, the judge may participate in book-signing events at libraries, schools, civic organizations, or shopping centers, but not at bar associations or law firms. The judge may spread news of its publication to friends, family or the general public, but may not aim at attorneys. The judge may read the book at a school, provide complimentary copies to friends, family, libraries, and members of the public and advise, on request, where the book may be purchased. (2) A judge who has written a children’s book may permit the use of his/her judicial title and a photograph, taken while wearing his/her judicial robe, on the book’s back cover. 22 NYCRR 100.2; 100.2(A); 100.2(C); 100.4(A)(1)-(3); 100.4(B); 100.4(C)(3); 100.4(D)(1)(a)-(c); 100.4(H)(1); Opinions 15-182; 13-89; 10-95; 10-84; 06-105; 05-28; 02-133; 01-58; 90-73.
