COMMITTEE ON CODES OF CONDUCT
ADVISORY OPINION NO. 37
Officer or Trustee of a Professional Organization Receiving Governmental
or Private Grants or Operating Funds.
The Committee has received an inquiry arising from the activities
of a number of judges who serve as officers or trustees of "professional
organizations which request and receive operating funds and grants from
federal as well as state and local governments." The inquiry includes the
following statement:
The professional groups are generally organized for educational,
research or study purposes, but, regardless of the merit of the operations,
a question arises as to whether a federal judge's prestige may not be an
important factor in the obtaining of such financing, possibly to the detriment
of similar organizations which do not have this judicial "sponsorship."
This particular question deals with the fact that the organization
with which a judge may otherwise be properly associated may nevertheless
be in a unique position because of the fact that the judge's organization
seeks and obtains federal or state grants.
The Committee does not believe that mere service on the board of
a hospital or other Canon 5B type organization becomes inappropriate by
reason of the fact that such organization utilizes funds received from
federal, state, or local governments. Reference is made to Advisory Opinion
No. 28 for further guidance with respect to its application to Canon 5
organizations of which a judge may properly act as director or trustee.
July 5, 1974
Revised January 16, 1998