May 7, 2026

Facts/Issue: The inquiring judge is one of several individuals who will be given an award at a not-for-profit cultural organization’s annual scholarship gala fund-raiser. May the judge’s name, likeness, and judicial title be listed on the flyer with other award recipients?

Discussion: Section 100.4(C)(3)(b)(ii) provides that a judge:

“may not be a speaker or the guest of honor at an organization’s fund-raising events, but the judge may attend such events. Nothing in this subparagraph shall prohibit a judge from being a speaker or guest of honor at a court employee organization, bar association or law school function or from accepting at another organization's fund-raising event an unadvertised award ancillary to such event.”

Here, as the sponsoring entity is not “a court employee organization, bar association or law school,” the judge must not allow his/her name, likeness or judicial title to be used on a flyer for the entity’s fund-raising event and cannot be an advertised (pre-announced) recipient of any award. In effect, the judge’s participation may be announced only during or after the event.

Conclusion: A judge may accept an unannounced award that is ancillary to a not-for-profit cultural organization’s fund-raiser, but must not permit the organization to use the judge’s name, likeness, or title on flyers for the event, or otherwise pre-announce the award.

Authorities: Opinions 24-136; 20-91; 18-91; 99-99.

Editorial Note 8/9/2026: Quotation marks inserted around the block quote for clarity and ease of reading online.