As a pilot project, we are developing some educational/reference materials on selected topics. They are not intended to replace or modify any published opinions.
These pages are intended to serve as a starting point for research. They are not necessarily a comprehensive listing of all opinions on the topic. Please contact the Advisory Committee for guidance if your facts are not identical to a published opinion. In addition to the resource pages below, we invite you to explore our index of recent opinions.
Subject-Matter Topics
These pages collect some opinions on a particular theme.
- Disciplinary Obligations
- Chart: When Must a Judge Report a Lawyer (ongoing) - This chart lists prior opinions in which the Committee has mandated reporting (i.e., the only appropriate action was to report the lawyer) as well as certain other related materials.
- Chart: When Must a Judge Report Another Judge (ongoing) This chart lists prior opinions in which the Committee has mandated reporting (i.e., the only appropriate action was to report another judge) as well as certain other related materials.
- Judicial Speech
- Judicial Speech Primer (Mar 2018) - Intended to provide a starting point for understanding some of the most common limitations on judicial speech. Please note it does not address participation in public advocacy activities, where the outcome may be highly fact-specific.
- Extra-Judicial Activities
- Civic and Charitable Extra-Judicial Activities (Jul 2017) - Some general principles and examples.
- In-Kind Charitable Drives & Stunts (ongoing) - a collection of prior opinions
- Holiday Reference Guide (Jul 2024) - a collection of prior opinions
- Social Media
- Social Media and Online Activity (ongoing) - a collection of prior opinions
- Conflicts
- Chart: Duties When Former Litigation Adversaries of the Judge or a Close Relative Appear (Jun 2020) -
NOTE: Opinion 21-22(A) now permits remittal of disqualification even when a litigant is unrepresented. - Disclosure of Reasons for Recusal & Judiciary Law § 9 (Jan 2021-May 2022) - a collection of opinions mentioning Judiciary Law § 9
- Chart: Duties When Former Litigation Adversaries of the Judge or a Close Relative Appear (Jun 2020) -
- Unrepresented Litigants; Ghostwriting; Pro Bono or Reduced Fee Legal Assistance
- Ghostwriting and Behind-the-Scenes Legal Assistance (Mar 2023) - a collection of prior opinions
- Unrepresented Litigants; Pro Bono and Reduced-Fee Legal Assistance (Dec 2024) - a collection of prior opinions
- Additional themes and topics
- Memo to Aspiring Town and Village Justices (Dec 2025) - a non-exhaustive list of factors that may warrant seeking guidance on the compatibility of current non-judicial employment before pursuing or accepting part-time judicial office.
- Town and Village Justice FAQs (Dec 2025) - a collection of links to access portions of the subject-matter index that may be of particular interest to town and village justices.
- VTL § 1174-a (Dec 2024) - a collection of opinions mentioning school bus stop-arm violation monitoring programs.
- Coronavirus-Related opinions (Mar 2020-Jan 2022) - a collection of prior opinions
Miscellaneous Reference Materials
- Part 100 Navigation Guide (May 2021)
- Ethics Reference Sheets (Mar 2023) - reference materials covering some common issues and recommendations regarding disqualification, ex parte communications, when to seek help, and more.
- Winding Down - Opinion Digests (Dec 2024) - a quick reference guide to help new full-time judges find potentially relevant opinions on selected issues related to winding down their law practice.