Ezel / Ethics Opinions / JUDICIAL-IL

Could an Illinois judge accept a Judicial Fellow membership from a bar group whose lawyers generally represented one side?

Short answer The Committee barred the membership because it might suggest favoritism, while allowing qualifying event attendance and complimentary legal publications under the former Code.
Bar
JUDICIAL-IL
Issued
July 25, 2001

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This page answers the general question as of 2001. 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 Not binding precedent.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 specialized bar group, whose member lawyers generally represented one side of disputes, offered a judge Judicial Fellow recognition with free trial publications and convention registration.

The Committee concluded that accepting the continuing membership status might reasonably raise questions of impartiality or suggest that the group held special influence. It distinguished membership from attending a qualifying law-related convention that did not create such concerns.

The judge could accept complimentary legal publications on the same basis as those supplied by other publishers, under the opinion’s reading of former Rule 65C(4).

Currency note

This opinion was issued in 2001 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 The Committee’s page says that Code was superseded on January 1, 2023, and does not assess the effect of the 2023 Code.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 accept the Judicial Fellow title?

A: No. The Committee found the membership status could suggest favoritism.

Q: Could the judge attend a convention?

A: Yes, if it honored the judiciary or concerned the legal system and did not call impartiality into question.

Q: Could the judge receive free legal publications?

A: Yes, on the same basis as publications from other publishers.

Background and rules framework

The Committee applied former Illinois Supreme Court Rules 62B, 64C, and 65C(4), and discussed IJEC Opinions 93-12 and 95-7.

Citations and references

  • Illinois Supreme Court Rules 62B, 64, 64C, and 65C(4).
  • IJEC Opinions 93-12 and 95-7.

See also

Source

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