Jurisdiction

The Standing Committee on Judicial Ethics offers analysis and guidance concerning the Michigan Code of Judicial Conduct, and, to the extent that they relate to judicial conduct in Michigan, on provisions of the Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct, the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, and other applicable standards of professional conduct, as well as emerging issues of professional conduct affecting judges and judicial candidates by:

• Rendering informal advisory opinions on judicial ethics, which are published on the State Bar of Michigan website.
• Rendering proposed formal advisory opinions for consideration by the Board of Commissioners.
• Update published opinions as rules, case law, and legislation are modified.
• Recommend amendments and provide comments to proposed amendments to the Michigan Code of Judicial Conduct and other standards of professional conduct that relate to judicial conduct, to the Board of Commissioners or Representative Assembly for consideration.
• Provide comments and recommend amendments to court rules or legislation affecting professional ethics that relate to judicial conduct and report such recommendations to the Board of Commissioners or Representative Assembly for consideration.
• Drafting resources relevant to professional ethics as it relates to judicial conduct, which are published on the State Bar of Michigan website.
• Consult with external stakeholders on various professional ethics topics.
• Consult with the Judicial Tenure Commission to discuss trends, data, and insights as it relates to judicial conduct and needed advisory guidance.
• Review and evaluate available metrics measuring the effectiveness of national and state efforts to reduce conduct subject to judicial discipline.

Note: Members are nominated by and drawn from among the membership of the judicial bench, Michigan Judges Association, the Michigan Probate Judges Association, the Michigan District Judges Association, the Michigan Association of District Court Magistrates, and the Referees Association of Michigan. Pursuant to operating rules adopted by the Board of Commissioners, informal ethics opinions and other general resources of this Committee are made public on the Committee’s own initiative, without approved of the Board of Commissioners. This Committee may have more than 15 members.

2024-2025 Committee Members

Rules of the Committee

Resources

• Ethics Opinions Online
• How to Request an Opinion

Articles

Social Networking and Judges