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Areas of Interest
April 5th, 2022
NY Judges Ignored Income, Gift Reporting Rule For Years
Ethics & Professional Responsibility Litigation Partner Ronald C. Minkoff is quoted in the article, “NY Judges Ignored Income, Gift Reporting Rule For Years” published by Law360. The article discusses how over the past decade, many New York judges did not publicly report outside compensation and gifts over $150 to their clerks, violating an ethics rule that safeguards against financial conflicts of interest and corruption. Ron is quoted saying, "If somebody got me something that was $750, that's significant" and "In some countries, the way it works is that whoever takes the judge out to the fanciest dinner wins. We don't want it to look like the courts are a bazaar or that a judge is available to the highest bidder."
Some judges have earned substantial amounts in rental income. Lawyers for the Office of Court Administration argued there was no need for the court system's judges to report on investment property income because it is "passively earned." Ron disagrees with that idea stating, "To the extent that OCA is interpreting the rule this way, I think that's incorrect.” Ron concludes by saying, "If judges aren't complying with the rules, it's a problem” and "If judicial systems aren't encouraging the judges to comply with the rules, then that's a bigger problem."
Read the full article here.
Other Quoted
Scrutiny of Meat Labels Like Grass-Fed Misses Green Expectations
Bloomberg Law quotes Jeffrey A Greenbaum on governmental guidance regarding marketing the environmental impacts of products. He notes how different federal agencies issuing a range of advice on environmental marketing could be confusing for businesses. View Article
September 5 2024
Emerging Ethical Issues You Should Know
The American Bar Association quotes Tyler Maulsby on why the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) including client due diligence is an important issue for lawyers. Mr. Maulsby notes getting the CTA wrong could be a federal offense, and he explains the biggest risks. View Article
August 1 2024
‘Trump Too Small’ Opinion Leaves Some Justices, Attys Vexed
Law360 quotes Kimberly M. Maynard on the recent 'Trump Too Small' apparel trademark that the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously concluded was not a free speech violation. View Article
June 14 2024