1997-07: Judge Attending Promotional Event of Family Business 

DISCLAIMER:  This Opinion interprets the 1993 Illinois Code of Judicial Conduct, which was superseded on January 1, 2023, by the 2023 Illinois Code of Judicial Conduct.  This Opinion does not consider or address whether the 2023 Code affects the analysis or conclusion of the Opinion.  A table cross-referencing the 1993 Code to the 2023 Code can be found at  IJEC CORRELATION TABLE.

IJEC Opinion No. 1997-07

May 7, 1997

TOPIC

Judge attending promotional event of family business. 

DIGEST

A judge may not assume an active role in the management or serve as an officer, director or employee of a family business. However, the judge may be a stockholder or shareholder and may attend a promotion of the family business so long as the judge is not introduced as a judge and does not wear a tag with judge in the title. 

REFERENCES

Illinois Supreme Court Rule 65C(2). 

FACTS

A family hardware business with the judge's surname was having a large promotional event for business purposes.

QUESTIONS

1. May a judge be present at a big promotion of the family business which carries the judge's surname? 

2. May a judge assume an active role in the management or serve as an officer, director or employee of this business? 

OPINIONS

Question 1 

A judge may be present at a big promotion of the family business which carries a judge's surname as long as the judge is not introduced as "judge" and does not wear a badge or name tag with the title "judge". 

Question 2 

Rule 65C(2) sets forth the limitations on a judge regarding this type of conduct: 

A judge may hold and manage investments, including real estate, and engage in the activities usually incident to the ownership of such investments, but a judge should not assume an active role in the management or serve as an officer, director or employee of any business. 

It should be noted, however, that a judge is not precluded from being a stockholder or shareholder.