Ethics

Articles

All ethics articles on the Judicial Family Institute (JFI) website should be compared against your own current state code of judicial conduct.

Permission to Copy:  If you duplicate any of the Center for Judicial Ethics orAn Ethics Guide for Judges and Their Families articles herein for distribution at Judicial Education Conferences, please inform Cynthia Gray, Director Emeritus of the Center for Judicial Ethics.

"No judicial conduct commission has jurisdiction over non-judge family members" according to Director Cynthia Gray, of the Center for Judicial Ethics, now part of the National Center for State Courts.

ETHICS ARTICLES AND LINKS FOR JUDICIAL FAMILIES:

• Top Ethical Questions: Family Jobs
• Avoiding Ethics Problems
• Family Ethical Issues 2022
  Cynthia Gray, NCSC's Center for Judicial Ethics
• Smiling for Pictures and Other Judicial Family Minefields
  Keith R. Fisher, Principal Consultant & Senior Counsel for Domestic & International Court Initiatives
• Judicial Ethics and Judicial Families
  Cynthia Gray, NCSC's Center for Judicial Ethics
• ETHICS GUIDE NOW ONLINE (Outline of Topics)
• An Ethics Guide for Judges and Their Families by Cynthia Gray is free in full online through the National Center for State Courts
• An Ethics Guide for Judges and Their Families Discussion Guide by Cynthia Gray is free in full online through the National Center for State Courts
• State Judicial Conduct Commission Websites

Family Guidelines Vary in New State Judicial Conduct Codes:

• Defining Family Boundaries: Hawaii’s 2009 Code of Judicial Conduct
• Ethics Issues for Judicial Families (Ohio)
• Judicial Campaign Ethics Handbook (2009 Ed.) (pdf) (NY)
• The Judge's Family in The ABA Model Code of Judicial Conduct (2007)
• Unique Family Matters in the 2009 Indiana Code of Judicial Conduct

Ethical Topics for Judicial Families:

• For Judges on Facebook, Friendship has Limits (New York Times)
• Giving Legal Advice to Family Members 
• What Gifts May Judges' Family Members Accept?

Use of the Prestige of Office to Benefit Family Members?

• Questions and Answers about Judicial Disqualification Tied to Family
• When a Family Member Is Arrested
• When Do Judges Disqualify Themselves from Cases Tied to Family?

Political Campaign Judicial Family Ethics:

• Campaign and Political Activity Ethics Advisory Opinions Nationwide 2006-2008
• When a Family Member Is Running for Political Office
• When a Family Member Supports a Political Candidate 
• The Center for Judicial Ethics (CJE) of the National Center for State Courts
• Center for Judicial Ethics (CJE) Publications
• Justice at Stake