N.C. Code Jud. Conduct Canon 5

A. Avocational Activities. A judge may write, lecture, teach, and speak

on legal or non-legal subjects, and engage in the arts, sports, and other social and

recreational activities, if such avocational activities do not substantially interfere

with the performance of the judge’s judicial duties.

B. Civic and Charitable Activities. A judge may participate in civic and

charitable activities that do not reflect adversely upon the judge’s impartiality or

interfere with the performance of the judge’s judicial duties. A judge may serve as

an officer, director, trustee, or non-legal advisor of an educational, religious,

charitable, fraternal or civic organization subject to the following limitations.

(1) A judge should not serve if it is likely that the organization will

be engaged in proceedings that would ordinarily come before the

judge.

(2) A judge may be listed as an officer, director or trustee of any

cultural, educational, historical, religious, charitable, fraternal or

civic organization. A judge may not actively assist such an

organization in raising funds but may be listed as a contributor

on a fundraising invitation.

(3) A judge may serve on the board of directors or board of trustees

of such an organization even though the board has the

responsibility for approving investment decisions.

C. Financial Activities.

(1) A judge should refrain from financial and business dealings that

reflect adversely on the judge’s impartiality, interfere with the

proper performance of the judge’s judicial duties, exploit the

judge’s judicial position or involve the judge in frequent

transactions with lawyers or persons likely to come before the

court on which the judge serves.

(2) Subject to the requirements of subsection (1), a judge may hold

and manage the judge’s own personal investments or those of the

judge’s spouse, children, or parents, including real estate

investments, and may engage in other remunerative activity not

otherwise inconsistent with the provisions of this Code but should

not serve as an officer, director or manager of any business.

(3) A judge should manage his/her investments and other financial

interests to minimize the number of cases in which the judge is

disqualified.

(4) Neither a judge nor a member of the judge’s family residing in the

judge’s household should accept a gift from anyone except as

follows:

(a) A judge may accept a gift incident to a public testimonial

to the judge; books supplied by publishers on a

complimentary basis for official or academic use; or an

invitation to the judge and the judge’s spouse to attend a

bar-related function, a cultural or historical activity, or an

event related to the economic, educational, legal, or

governmental system, or the administration of justice;

(b) A judge or a member of the judge’s family residing in the

judge’s household may accept ordinary social hospitality;

a gift, favor or loan from a friend or relative; a wedding,

engagement or other special occasion gift; a loan from a

lending institution in its regular course of business on the

same terms generally available to persons who are not

judges; or a scholarship or fellowship awarded on the same

terms applied to other applicants;

(c) Other than as permitted under subsection C.(4)(b) of this

Canon, a judge or a member of the judge’s family residing

in the judge’s household may accept any other gift only if

the donor is not a party presently before the judge and, if

its value exceeds $500, the judge reports it in the same

manner as the judge reports compensation in Canon 6C.

(5) For the purposes of this section “member of the judge’s family

residing in the judge’s household” means any relative of a judge

by blood or marriage, or a person treated by a judge as a member

of the judge’s family, who resides in the judge’s household.

(6) A judge is not required by this Code to disclose his/her income,

debts or investments, except as provided in this Canon and

Canons 3 and 6.

(7) Information acquired by a judge in the judge’s judicial capacity

should not be used or disclosed by the judge in financial dealings

or for any other purpose not related to the judge’s judicial duties.

D. Fiduciary Activities. A judge should not serve as the executor,

administrator, trustee, guardian or other fiduciary, except for the estate, trust or

person of a member of the judge’s family, and then only if such service will not

interfere with the proper performance of the judge’s judicial duties. “Member of the

judge’s family” includes a spouse, child, grandchild, parent, grandparent or any other

relative of the judge by blood or marriage. As a family fiduciary a judge is subject to

the following restrictions:

(1) A judge should not serve if it is likely that as a fiduciary the judge

will be engaged in proceedings that would ordinarily come before

the judge, or if the estate, trust or ward becomes involved in

adversarial proceedings in the court on which the judge serves or

one under its appellate jurisdiction.

(2) While acting as a fiduciary a judge is subject to the same

restrictions on financial activities that apply to the judge in

his/her personal capacity.

E. Arbitration. A judge should not act as an arbitrator or mediator.

However, an emergency justice or judge of the Appellate Division designated as such

pursuant to Article 6 of Chapter 7A of the General Statutes of North Carolina, and

an Emergency Judge of the District Court or Superior Court commissioned as such

pursuant to Article 8 of Chapter 7A of the General Statutes of North Carolina may

serve as an arbitrator or mediator when such service does not conflict with or

interfere with the justice’s or judge’s judicial service in emergency status. A judge of

the Appellate Division may participate in any dispute resolution program conducted

at the Court of Appeals and authorized by the Supreme Court.

F. Practice of Law. A judge should not practice law.

G. Extra-Judicial Appointments. A judge should not accept

appointment to a committee, commission, or other body concerned with issues of fact

or policy on matters other than those relating to cultural or historical matters, the

economic, educational, legal or governmental system, or the administration of justice.

A judge may represent his/her country, state or locality on ceremonial occasions or in

connection with historical, educational or cultural activities.