AJS Judicial Selection Materials

Judicial Merit Selection: Current Status is a set of tables that provide detailed information about merit selection provisions in states with "merit selection" of judges, or appointment through nominating commissions.

Judicial Selection in the United States: A Special Report describes the historical evolution of judicial selection in the United States.

Judicial Selection in the States: Appellate and General Jurisdiction Courts is a set of tables that provide basic information about the initial selection and subsequent retention of state judges. Below are links to the individual tables.
              Summary of Initial Selection Methods
              Initial Selection: Trial Courts of General Jurisdiction
              Initial Selection: Intermediate Appellate Courts
              Initial Selection: Courts of Last Resort
              Initial Selection, Retention, and Term Length

Judicial Selection Reform: Examples from Six States examines successful judicial selection reform efforts in six states, discussing the nature of each reform and its implementation in other states, the events that provided the impetus for reform, and the actors who were instrumental in bringing about the reform.

Merit Selection: A Review of the Social Scientific Literature synthesizes existing social science research on merit selection. [Cite as: Malia Reddick, Merit Selection: A Review of the Social Scientific Literature, 106 Dick. L. Rev. 729 (2002)]

Merit Selection: The Best Way to Choose the Best Judges describes the merit selection process and its advantages over other methods of judicial selection.

Model Merit Selection Plan in Theory and in Practice is a schematic of the phases of AJS's model merit selection plan.

Model Judicial Selection Provisions revised 1994.

The Continuing Effort to Create Nonpartisan Judiciaries in the State Courts by Robert W. Bergstrom
 

Judicial nominating commissions have been described as "the cornerstone of the merit selection plan." The revised and updated Handbook for Judicial Nominating Commissioners, 2nd Edition, leads commissioners step-by-step through the commission process--from getting organized, to establishing evaluative criteria, to publicizing the judicial vacancy, to investigating and screening applicants, to interviewing, to voting and submitting names to the appointing authority. Two expanded chapters address specific commission ethics considerations and privacy and confidentiality concerns. Below are links to handbook chapters.
             
Chapter 1: Commission Ethics
              Chapter 2: Confidentiality and Privacy
              Chapter 3:  The Organizational Meeting
              Chapter 4:  Notice of Vacancy and Recruitment
              Chapter 5:  Evaluative Criteria
              Chapter 6:  Screening and Investigation
              Chapter 7:  Interviewing and Candidates
              Chapter 8:  Voting and Submitting Names of Nominees

   Institute for Judicial Nominating Commissioners Facilitator’s Guide