Opinion 25-61

May 15, 2025

Facts/Issue:  A full-time judge asks if it is ethically permissible to serve as a board member of a not-for-profit organization “committed to highlighting the educational, cultural, and historic impact of Hip Hop, while driving community growth and empowerment.”  The group offers school programs as a vendor to the Department of Education and seeks to create an interactive educational hub to teach about hip hop. 

Discussion:   A judge’s extra-judicial activities must be compatible with judicial office and must not cast reasonable doubt on the judge’s ability to act impartially.  A full-time judge may be an officer or director of a not-for-profit educational, cultural or charitable organization, where the entity does not receive court referrals and is unlikely to be “engaged regularly in adversary proceedings in any court” or “engaged in proceedings that ordinarily would come before the judge.”  Applying these principles, we have said a judge may serve on the board of a not-for-profit organization that maintains a local park and provides educational and cultural programming for the community.  A full-time judge may also serve on the board of a not-for-profit private school or local development corporation.  As a board member or otherwise, a judge may assist such an organization in planning fund-raising, but may not personally participate in the solicitation of funds. 

Conclusion:  A full-time judge may serve on the board of a not-for-profit educational, cultural, or civic organization dedicated to the preservation of hip hop culture.  The judge may not personally participate in fund-raising and must abide by generally applicable restrictions on speech and conduct.

Authorities:  Opinions 23-213; 23-28; 22-73; 20-74; 20-55; 15-15.