Ezel / Ethics Opinions / JUDICIAL-IL

Could an Illinois judge recommend a neighbor for a state fellowship using court stationery?

Short answer Yes. The Committee allowed the recommendation and court stationery when the judge’s letter rested on personal knowledge of the applicant’s qualifications.
Bar
JUDICIAL-IL
Issued
March 6, 1996

Apply this to your situation

This page answers the general question as of 1996. 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 Not binding precedent.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) is the authoritative source for any reliance.

Plain-English summary

A longtime neighbor asked a judge to provide one of three recommendations for a state fellowship or internship continuing college graduates’ study of government. The judge sent a letter on court stationery.

The Committee concluded that former Rule 62B did not bar a recommendation based on personal knowledge of the applicant’s talents, qualifications, or competence.

It also found the stationery permissible in this setting, where the recipient needed to know who was making the recommendation.

Currency note

This opinion was issued in 1997 under the 1993 Illinois Code of Judicial Conduct. The Committee’s page says that Code was superseded on January 1, 2023, and does not assess the effect of the 2023 Code. Treat this page as historical context and verify the current Code before relying on its analysis.

Common questions

Q: Could the judge recommend the neighbor?

A: Yes, if the recommendation drew on the judge’s personal knowledge of the applicant.

Q: Could the judge use court stationery?

A: Yes. The Committee found it permissible under former Rule 62B on these facts.

Q: What limit did the Committee identify?

A: The recommendation had to rest on personal knowledge of the applicant’s abilities or qualifications.

Background and rules framework

The Committee applied former Illinois Supreme Court Rule 62B’s restriction on lending judicial prestige for private interests. It cited IJEC Opinions 93-9, 95-3, 95-4, and 95-12 and In re Associate Judge Arthur Rosenblum.

Citations and references

  • Illinois Supreme Court Rule 62B.
  • In re Associate Judge Arthur Rosenblum, Docket No. 92-CC-2 (Ill. Cts. Com. 1993).
  • IJEC Opinions 93-9, 95-3, 95-4, and 95-12.

See also

Source

What do the rules say today, for your facts?

This opinion is from 1996. Ezel checks the current rules of professional conduct in your state against your situation and cites the rules it relies on.

Opens in Ezel Pro.

  • Checks the law as it stands today, not only this page
  • Cites every source it relies on, so you can verify it
  • Chat, drafting and research in one workspace