Opinion No. 97-7

May 7, 1997 

TOPIC: Judge attending promotional event of family business. 

DIGEST: A judge may not assume an active role in the management or serve as an officer, director or employee of a family business. However, the judge may be a stockholder or shareholder and may attend a promotion of the family business so long as the judge is not introduced as a judge and does not wear a tag with judge in the title. 

REFERENCES: Illinois Supreme Court Rule 65C(2). 

FACTS 

A family hardware business with the judge's surname was having a large promotional event for business purposes. 

QUESTIONS 

1. May a judge be present at a big promotion of the family business which carries the judge's surname? 

2. May a judge assume an active role in the management or serve as an officer, director or employee of this business? 

OPINIONS 

Question 1 

A judge may be present at a big promotion of the family business which carries a judge's surname as long as the judge is not introduced as "judge" and does not wear a badge or name tag with the title "judge". 

Question 2 

Rule 65C(2) sets forth the limitations on a judge regarding this type of conduct: 

A judge may hold and manage investments, including real estate, and engage in the activities usually incident to the ownership of such investments, but a judge should not assume an active role in the management or serve as an officer, director or employee of any business. 

It should be noted, however, that a judge is not precluded from being a stockholder or shareholder.