QUESTION: Would it be a violation of Canon 5G of the Code of Judicial Conduct for a County Court at Law Judge to serve as a member of the board of directors of a private agency which is established to oversee the operations of job-training, remedial education, summer youth employment programs, on-the-job training programs, etc., under a federal job training program?

PREFACE: The committee is advised that the board of directors decides which local agencies receive funding and in what amounts. The board of directors also has oversight and reporting duties and further generally designs and implement programs to insure that the money is spent wisely and effectively.

ANSWER: From the information furnished to the committee, the agency is a private, not-profit organization. Even though the agency implements programs funded by the federal government, the agency is not a governmental committee or commission; and therefore, the committee perceives no violation of Canon 5G of the Code of Judicial Conduct in serving on the board of directors of such agency. See, limitations set out in judicial ethics opinion No. 85.