NYS Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics — Part-time Judge: Opinion 13-98

NYS Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics 

Part-time Judge

Staff Counsel — Minority Legislative Conference

Opinion 13-98

Background: A part-time judge asks whether he may accept employment as an associate staff counsel for the Minority Legislative Conference of a County Legislature. The judge states that it is a paid position, but is not political in nature and would not require him to engage in any partisan activities.

Ruling: The committee concluded that a part-time judge may accept paid employment as an assistant staff counsel to the Minority Conference of a county legislature, provided that his actions are clearly identifiable as those of an attorney representing a client and not as a partisan political activity; he interacts directly with Minority Counsel in the performance of his duties, rather than with individual legislators or their constituents; and he does not attend legislative sessions or Minority Caucuses or other political gatherings.