California Judicial Council Buzz Kill: No Partying With Lawyers

California judges should reject invitations to attend law firm celebrations with complimentary food and beverages at the firm’s offices under a final state high court advisory released Tuesday.

The California Supreme Court’s Committee on Judicial Ethics Opinions’ formal opinion said accepting such invitations could likely violate several Code of Judicial Ethics canons, including prohibitions against suggesting bias or that anyone has a special position of influence over the judge; lending judicial prestige to advance pecuniary or personal interests; and accepting gifts absent certain exceptions.

• “Judges must find a careful balance between complying with their ethical obligations and ensuring that they do not become completely isolated from the communities that they serve,” including weighing the need for social engagement “against the utmost importance of maintaining the integrity, impartiality, and independence of the judiciary,” Judge Erica R. Yew, ethics committee member, said in a statement.
• Exceptions include attending a celebration of a firm with which the judge has a preexisting relationship warranting disqualification, provided attending is otherwise consistent with the canons
• The ruling is the latest fallout from the affairs of Thomas Girardi, the now-indicted and disbarred plaintiffs’ lawyer who cultivated friends throughout the state and escaped legal or ethical consequences from hundreds of complaints over decades.