To Teach, To Judge

A judicial ethics opinion from the State of Washington Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee considers the ethical implications when a judicial officer teaches a class at a sports club outside of work hours (ok if not undignified) and teaching a law school class during the business day:

Teaching a class that begins during court hours several times a weekhas the potential to interfere with the performance of judicial dutiesand also creates the appearance that the judicial officer is permittingoutside activities to take precedence over judicial duties. Before ajudicial officer agrees to undertake such a schedule, the judicialofficer should work with the law school to try to schedule the lawschool class either before or after court hours. If that cannot beaccomplished, the judicial officer must take necessary precautions toensure that teaching the class does not interfere with the performanceof judicial duties or increase the workload of other judicial officersand/or court personnel. Those precautions may include such things asassignment to a particular calendar, courthouse location or otheraccommodations that might be worked out with the presiding judge. Ifthe judicial officer is not satisfied that teaching the class will notinterfere with the performance of judicial duties, the judicial officershould not teach the class.

(Mike Frisch)