JD Journal reports
In a draft ethics advisory open for comment, the California Supreme Court’s Committee on Judicial Ethics Opinions urges judges in the state to refrain from attending law firm celebrations held at the firm’s offices, where complimentary food and beverages are provided. The committee’s draft opinion responds to a query regarding the permissibility of a judicial officer attending a law firm’s 50th-anniversary celebration.
According to the draft, the presence of a judicial officer at such an event could potentially imply a special relationship between the judge and the law firm. This, in turn, might undermine the impartiality of the judiciary and create the perception that the law firm holds influence over the judge’s judicial decisions. Additionally, the draft notes that the judge’s attendance at such an event could improperly lend judicial prestige to promote the law firm’s interests, suggesting that the firm is favored or endorsed by the judiciary. Moreover, as law firm celebrations primarily serve the purpose of business development, the complimentary food and beverages provided at these events are considered gifts that do not fall under any exceptions to the general prohibition against accepting gifts.
This opinion comes at a time when the legal community in California is grappling with the fallout of revelations surrounding disbarred celebrity plaintiffs’ lawyer, Thomas Girardi, who evaded accountability for numerous complaints over several decades, including allegations of client theft. Girardi had cultivated relationships with influential figures throughout the state and the legal system, hosting extravagant parties attended by politicians, judges, prominent attorneys, prosecutors, and officials from the State Bar.
