Sandra Day O'Connor Faulted By Critics On Ethics; Associated Press via HuffingtonPost.com, 4/10/11

Mark Sherman, Associated Press via HuffingtonPost.com; Sandra Day O'Connor Faulted By Critics On Ethics:

"Hellman, the Pittsburgh ethics expert, said he finds the court reception particularly troubling because "we're talking about political activity. It's a lobbying effort and she is lending her considerable prestige to that effort."

Another ethics professor, Stephen Gillers of New York University, said that if the speeches were not about advocacy, then the event itself probably does not pose an ethical problem for O'Connor. On the other hand, Gillers said it is possible O'Connor would have to step aside from any appellate case involving the groups that sponsored the reception...

Supreme Court justices are not covered by the ethics rules that apply to all federal judges. Still, justices generally adhere to those rules, Hellman said."