Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation

Workload and time commitment

• Commissioners are required to attend the JNE orientation meeting, which takes place at the end of January in San Francisco, and must commit to undertaking a substantial workload requiring a minimum of 20 to 40 hours per month. Because external factors may result in intermittent increases in this workload, applicants should carefully consider their ability to commit the requisite time.
• Time commitment includes required attendance at all commission meetings, which typically occur every other month (six meetings per year). Meetings are typically held in person and alternate between the San Francisco and Los Angeles State Bar offices. Depending on the number of assignments in a given cycle, two-day meetings may be required.
• Commission members work in rotation, two to four-member investigative teams, depending on whether the judicial candidate is applying for the superior court, appellate court, or Supreme Court. A commissioner could have several assignments per meeting, in lead and/or co-commissioner capacities. Work during each investigative cycle is of varying intensity, but is particularly demanding at the inception of an investigation and toward its conclusion, several weeks before the meeting. Each assignment typically requires at least 10 to 15 hours of preparation by each commissioner.
• Candidate interviews are conducted remotely via Zoom.
• Commissioners are reimbursed for approved travel to commission meetings in accordance with State Bar policy.

Criteria for appointment 

In making appointments to the JNE Commission, the board considers the duties and functions of the commission; the applicant's qualifications and ability to make the time commitment; the criteria mandated by Government Code section 12011.5(b); and Board policies on diversity and criteria for membership on State Bar committees.

The Board policies on diversity and criteria for committee members consist of a multitude of factors, including but not limited to:

• Length of time in the practice of law or, if the appointment is of a nonattorney public member, the length of time in a given profession or vocation,
• Accomplishments of note,
• Proven commitment to volunteer work or strong indication of capacity and desire for making the expected time commitment,
• Personal recommendations for the appointment,
• Educational background,
• Geographic location of residence and work,
• Size of law firm or of practice,
• Types of employment and types of specific interests represented by law practice or employment, (e.g., in-house counsel, public sector, private law firm, etc.),
• Gender, age, race, ethnicity, and other factors of minority status including religious creed, disability, or sexual orientation contributing to diversity and broad representation,
• Current and/or prior volunteer service with the community, organizations, local/state/national bar associations; activities that might prepare you for the JNE Commission, and
• Prior relevant experience, (e.g. writing and interviewing skills, knowledge of judiciary, appellate background, etc).

Conditions of appointment and service

• Each commission member must take an oath of office and is typically sworn in at the annual orientation meeting.
• As a condition of appointment, each commission member agrees to abstain from endorsing any candidate for judicial office, and to refrain from participating in any judicial candidate's campaign for office in the form of donations, personal efforts, or in-kind services, or in non-JNE activities related to the judicial selection process, including appearing before or voting as a member of any other committee or commission involved in the judicial selection process.
• Commissioners may not apply for or accept a State of California judicial appointment, nor agree to be considered for or evaluated as a candidate for such an appointment, while a member of the commission or until such time thereafter that a majority of the commission consists of members with whom the commission member did not serve, (i.e., two to three years after completing service on the commission).
• Commissioners are appointed by and serve at the will of the Board of Trustees and may be removed with or without good cause.
• A commission member may be removed for breach of confidentiality, failure to perform assigned duties, and failure to attend meetings.

Application

• Application statements should describe any experience interviewing professional applicants.
• Attorney applicants should include a brief description of any courtroom or appellate experience in the past five years.
• Nonattorney public applicants should explain how their professional experience qualifies them to be a JNE Commission member. Applicants should also list any professional experience with the judicial system.
• Applicants may submit a maximum of three letters of recommendation with your application.

Questions about the application process? Contact appointments@calbar.ca.gov.