Rule 4.2 Appearances Before Governmental Bodies

Judges have limits on when they can speak or testify before government bodies like legislatures or city councils while acting in their official role as a judge. A judge can only do this voluntarily if the topic relates to the law, legal education, the court system, how justice is administered, or issues that affect judges directly, like their pay, health benefits, or retirement.

If a judge wants to speak up on other matters, they can still do so, but only as a private citizen, not as a representative of the court. The same goes for situations where a judge is acting in a fiduciary role, such as handling someone else's finances or estate. In those cases, the judge is not speaking on behalf of the judiciary and must follow Rule 2, which deals with conduct that could affect impartiality.

Judges are also allowed to join organizations made up of other judges, even if those groups hire lobbyists to push for things that benefit judges as a group. This lets judges work together on shared concerns without each judge having to personally appear before lawmakers.