Opinion 05-94

October 26, 2005

This is in response to your inquiry (05-94) in which you ask whether you may have your name listed as a Dinner Committee member in connection with your law school’s annual Alumni Leadership Awards Dinner. The event is a fund-raiser for the law school, and as noted in the letter to you from the law school, having “your name listed as a Dinner Committee member on the printed materials, will lend prestige to the event.”

         It is the opinion of the Committee that you may not allow the use of your name to be listed as a Dinner Committee member. Section 100.4(C)(3)(b)(i) of the Rules Governing Judicial Conduct forbids a judge from personally participating in the “solicitation of funds or other fund-raising activities” and subdivision (3)(b)(iv) precludes a judge from permitting the “use of the prestige of judicial office for fund-raising or membership solicitation.” Given these provisions, the Committee concludes that you may not participate in the event in the manner requested, although you may, of course, attend.