Ezel / Ethics Opinions / JUDICIAL-IL

Could Illinois judges run in robes or sit in a dunk tank at a bar association fundraiser?

Short answer No. The Committee said the judges’ presence would induce donations and former Rule 65B(2) barred that fundraising participation, even if individual judges’ names were omitted.
Bar
JUDICIAL-IL
Issued
July 16, 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 Not binding precedent.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 bar association proposed a Special Olympics fundraiser with robed judges in a short race and judges as dunk-tank targets. Spectators would pay admission or pay for chances to dunk a judge.

The Committee concluded that judicial participation was the inducement to donate and therefore barred the roles under former Rule 65B(2). The fact of judges’ participation would be used to promote the event even if individual names were withheld.

The opinion distinguished mere attendance at a fundraiser from acting as its attraction and said collective participation did not avoid the rule.

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 The Committee’s page says that Code was superseded on January 1, 2023, and does not assess the effect of the 2023 Code.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 judges race in robes at the event?

A: No. The Committee treated the race as fundraising built around judicial participation.

Q: Could judges be dunk-tank targets?

A: No. The chance to dunk a judge was itself an incentive to contribute.

Q: Would omitting individual names change the result?

A: No. The Committee said promotion of judges’ collective participation still solicited donations.

Background and rules framework

The Committee applied former Illinois Supreme Court Rule 65B(2), which limited solicitation and participation as a featured attraction at civic or charitable fundraising events.

Citations and references

  • Illinois Supreme Court Rules 65B and 65B(2).

See also

Source

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