Ezel / Ethics Opinions / JUDICIAL-IL

Could an Illinois judge attend a promotional event for a family business bearing the judge’s surname?

Short answer The Committee allowed attendance if the judge was not introduced by judicial title or wore a badge bearing it. Former Rule 65C(2) barred active management or service as an officer, director, or employee, but allowed share ownership.
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JUDICIAL-IL
Issued
May 7, 1997

Apply this to your situation

This page answers the general question as of 1997. 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 Not binding precedent.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 family hardware business sharing the judge’s surname planned a major promotional event. The judge asked about attending and about taking an active business role.

The Committee permitted attendance if the judge was not introduced as a judge and did not wear a badge or name tag using the title.

Under former Rule 65C(2), it prohibited active management and service as an officer, director, or employee of the business. The opinion distinguished holding or managing investments, including stock or shares, from taking those operational roles.

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 The Committee’s page says that Code was superseded on January 1, 2023, and does not assess the effect of the 2023 Code.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 attend the promotion?

A: Yes, if the judge was not introduced by judicial title or identified with it on a badge.

Q: Could the judge manage the family hardware business?

A: No. Former Rule 65C(2) barred active management and officer, director, or employee service.

Q: Could the judge hold shares in it?

A: Yes. The Committee said stockholder or shareholder status was not precluded.

Background and rules framework

The Committee applied former Illinois Supreme Court Rule 65C(2), which allowed investment ownership and ordinary activities incident to ownership but barred active business management and specified roles.

Citations and references

  • Illinois Supreme Court Rule 65C(2).

See also

Source

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