Ezel / Ethics Opinions / JUDICIAL-AL

Could a judge serve on the board of trustees of a charitable organization?

Short answer Yes, according to the Commission, so long as the trusteeship did not interfere with judicial duties.
Bar
JUDICIAL-AL
Issued
February 28, 1977
Source
View Original PDF

Apply this to your situation

This page answers the general question as of 1977. Ask about yours and see what the current rules of professional conduct in your state say for your facts, with citations.

Disclaimer: Advisory only. Not binding precedent.
About this page: The plain-English summary, reader guidance, and Q&A below were written by Ezel based on the official ethics opinion. The original opinion (linked on this page as a PDF) is the authoritative source for any reliance.
View original ethics opinion (PDF)

Plain-English summary

A judge asked whether service on a charitable organization’s board of trustees was permissible. The organization’s name is blank in the published letter.

The Commission said the judge could serve as trustee so long as the role did not interfere with performance of judicial duties. Its letter directs attention to “Canon B” without providing the Canon’s text or a fuller citation.

Currency note

This opinion was issued in 1977, after the Alabama Supreme Court’s 1975 adoption of the Alabama Canons of Judicial Ethics. Subsequent amendments or later opinions may have changed the analysis. Treat this page as historical context and verify the current Canons and linked opinion before relying on its conclusions.

Common questions

Q: What condition did the Commission impose?

A: The trustee role could not interfere with the judge’s judicial duties.

Q: Did the letter name a particular organization?

A: No. The name is left blank in the published PDF.

Q: Which Canon did the letter cite?

A: The PDF prints “Canon B”; the letter does not explain that reference.

Background and rules framework

The letter states the noninterference condition and names “Canon B.” The official PDF does not supply a numbered Canon citation or quote the referenced Canon’s text. It dates the opinion February 28, 1977, yet describes the request letter as dated November 9, 1977; the printed dates conflict.

Citations and references

Alabama Canons of Judicial Ethics:

  • Canon B

See also

Source

Original opinion text

Reproduced from the official source for research purposes. The linked source is authoritative.

77-20
Judicial Inquiry Commission
800 SOUTH MCDONOUGH STREET
SUITE 201
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA 36104
February 28, 1977
Reference is made to your letter dated November 9, 1977, in which you requested an advisory opinion of the Judicial Inquiry Commission regarding your serving on the Board of Trustees of the__, a charitable organization. It is the opinion of this Commission that you may serve as a Trustee of the as long as it does not interfere with the performance of your judicial duties. We call your particular attention to Canon B, Canons of Judicial Ethics.

What do the rules say today, for your facts?

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