Rule 3.10 Practice of Law

Judges are not allowed to work as lawyers while they hold their judicial position. This means they can't take on clients, represent people in court, or do the normal work that lawyers do.

There are two narrow exceptions to this rule. A judge can represent themselves in their own legal matters if needed. A judge can also help out family members by giving them legal advice or helping write and check over legal documents, as long as the judge doesn't get paid for this help.

Even with family members, there's a firm limit. A judge cannot act as their family member's actual lawyer in court or in any other legal setting. So while a judge might review a document or offer some guidance to a relative, they cannot stand up in court on that family member's behalf or formally represent them in a legal proceeding. This keeps a clear line between a judge's role on the bench and the separate role of being someone's lawyer.