According to an opinion (2009-20) that was issued on November 17, 2009 by the Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee, it would be a "conflict of interest" for judges and lawyers to be friends on Facebook. Judges may friend each other, though.
In the discussion part of the opinion, it was stated that lawyers and judges "friending" each other on Facebook would violate Canon 2B, which states:
"A judge shall not lend the prestige of judicial office to advance the private interests of the judge or others; nor shall a judge convey or permit others to convey the impression that they are in a special position to influence the judge."
The opinion then went on to list the 3 elements that must be present to violate Canon 2B. They are:
- ...the judge must establish the social networking page.
- ...the site must afford the judge the right to accept or reject contacts or “friends” on the judge’s page, or denominate the judge as a “friend” on another member's page.
- ...the identity of the “friends” or contacts selected by the judge, and the judge's having denominated himself or herself as a “friend” on another's page, must then be communicated to others.
To read the opinion in its' entirety, click on the link in the beginning of the article. I found the opinion from the following article:
For Judges on Facebook, Friendship Has Limits - The New York Times
Although, they cannot be friends on Facebook, a lawyer can "become a fan" of a judge, since the judge does not have the ability to accept or reject who becomes a fan.
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