Advisory Opinion: 1843

Year Issued: 1998

RPC(s):

Subject: Disclosure of lawyer's prior relationship with judge or court commissioner

I have been instructed by the Rules of Professional Conduct Committee to respond to your ethics inquiry #1843 concerning disclosure of a lawyer's prior relationship to a judge or a court commissioner.

It is the opinion of the committee that the Rules of Professional conduct do not address this issue. The issue is addressed by the Code of Judicial Conduct, and the judge or court commissioner may wish to consult the Ethics Advisory Committee, through the Office of the Administrator for the Courts, for an opinion.

Advisory Opinions are provided for the education of the Bar and reflect the opinion of the Committee on Professional Ethics (CPE) or its predecessors. Advisory Opinions are provided pursuant to the authorization granted by the Board of Governors, but are not individually approved by the Board and do not reflect the official position of the Bar association. Laws other than the Washington State Rules of Professional Conduct may apply to the inquiry. The Committee's answer does not include or opine about any other applicable law other than the meaning of the Rules of Professional Conduct.