COMMITTEE ON CODES OF CONDUCT
ADVISORY OPINION NO. 7

Faculty Member of the National College of State Trial Judges.

A judge has inquired as to the propriety of serving as a member of the faculty of the National College of State Trial Judges. The judge receives no compensation for such services but is reimbursed for travel and subsistence for the judge and the judge's spouse. It is assumed that the performance of such services will not interfere or impinge upon the full performance of judicial duties.

Canons 4 and 6 of the Code of Conduct for United States Judges authorize such service and reimbursement. Canon 4 permits judges to "speak, write, lecture, teach, and participate in other activities concerning the law, the legal system, and the administration of justice." Under Canon 6B, "[e]xpense reimbursement should be limited to the actual costs of travel, food, and lodging reasonably incurred by the judge and, where appropriate to the occasion, by the judge's spouse or relative."

The Committee is of the opinion that there is no impropriety in the judge's participating as a faculty member of the National College of State Trial Judges.

January 21, 1970
Revised January 16, 1998