Judicial Selection and Personnel

I.        Selection Goals

    A.    Technical Competency

    B.    Social Awareness

    C.    Political Accountability

II.        State Judicial Selection Methods

    A.    Five Methods

        1.    Appointment by Governor

        2.    Legislative Election

        3.    Partisan Election (Chisom v. Roemer 1991)

        4.    Non-Partisan Election

        5.    Merit Selection-see video (The Missouri Plan)

    B.    General Characteristics

        1.    Limited Voter Information

        2.    Incumbency Advantage

        3.    Importance of Interim Appointments

        4.    Political Nature of Process

            a.     Bar Politics

            b.     Partisan Politics

III.        Federal Appointments

    A.    Formal Requirements (Current Vacancies)

    B.    Supreme Court:  Appointments in History)

        1.    Vital Considerations

        2.    Presidential Involvement

        3.    American Bar Association:   Committee on the  Federal Judiciary

        4.    U.S. Senate

        5.    Interest Groups

        6.    Media Focus

        7.    Possible Nominees:  Bush -- Obama

    C.    Lower Federal Courts -- U.S. Magistrates (Analysis of Process)

        1.    Office of Attorney General

        2.    American Bar Association

        3.    U.S. Senate Nominations (ABA Ratings)

    D.    Recess Appointments

IV.        Removal

    A.    Federal Impeachments

    B.     State Bench  (State Judicial Conduct Organizations)

V.        Term Limits (Colorado Initiative)

Key Web Sites

History of the Federal Judiciary

FAQ's Regarding Judicial Selection

Courts of the Federal Judiciary

PBS:  How Should Judges be Selected

American Judicature Society:  Fixing the Problems