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Judges and Judiciary,
Ethics/Professional Responsibility

Sep. 19, 2023

I don’t want to spoil the party, but . . .

If judges were to avoid all bar association events that were sponsored by law firms, their absence would adversely affect the goal of such events to promote collegiality and understanding between judges and lawyers and to improve the law, the legal system or administration of justice.

The Beatles popularized “I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party” almost 60 years ago, but the song comes to mind when reading the recent ethics opinion advising judges not to attend a law firm’s 50th anniversary celebration party. (California Supreme Court Committee on Judicial Ethics Opinions (CJEO) Formal Opinion 2023-024, posted Aug. 29, 2023.) The opinion thoroughly addresses the many ethical reasons attendance would be problematic, including judicial prohibitions again...

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