Digest:  A judge may serve on the Board of Directors of a SUNY alumni association, subject to the limitations stated in the Rules Governing Judicial Conduct, and may sign letters to prospective students encouraging their acceptance of admission to the university.
 

Rules:  22 NYCRR 100.4(C)(3), 100.4(C)(3)(b);
             100.4(C)(3)(b)(i);
             Opinions 95-151 (Vol. XIII);
             91-19 (Vol. VIII), 89-86 (Vol. IV);
             88-79 (Vol. II).
 
 

Opinion:

            A judge asks if it is appropriate to serve on the Board of Directors of a State University of New York (SUNY) alumni association and to sign letters to prospective students encouraging their acceptance of admission to SUNY.

            A university alumni association falls within the category of organizations of which a judge may be a member or serve as a director ("A judge may be a member or serve as ... director of ... an educational, religious, charitable, cultural, fraternal or civic organization not conducted for profit..." (22 NYCRR 100.4(C)[3].) Therefore, the judge may serve on the Board of Directors of the SUNY alumni association subject to the limitations stated in the Rules Governing Judicial Conduct, including the prohibition against soliciting funds on behalf of the association, or the university. 22 NYCRR 100.4(C)(3)(b)(i); Opinions 95-151 (Vol. XIII), 89-86 (Vol. IV).

            As an alumnus of the university, the judge may also sign letters to prospective students encouraging their acceptance of admission to the university. See Opinions 91-19 (Vol. VIII), 88-79 (Vol. II).