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AJS News Archive
AJS Files Amicus Brief in Support of Alaska Merit Selection With assistance from pro bono counsel O’Melveny & Myers LLP in Los Angeles, CA, AJS has filed an amicus curiae brief in Kirk v. Carpeneti, a case involving the Alaska Judicial Council (AJC) that is currently before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. A U.S. District Court judge ruled in September 2009 that the role of lawyer members of the AJC, who are appointed by the Board of Governors of the Alaska Bar Association, in nominating judicial candidates for appointment by the governor does not violate the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Posted 3/10/2010 Click here to read the Brief.Campaign contributors and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court On behalf of Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts, AJS recently completed a study of the frequency with which campaign contributors to members of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court later appeared before the court. The study revealed that in two-thirds of the cases decided by the court in 2008 and 2009, at least one of the litigants, lawyers, or law firms had contributed to the election campaign of at least one justice. Posted 3/8/2010 To view the Focus article, which appears in Judicature click here.AJS Seeks Entries for Toni House Journalism Award The American Judicature Society, a national nonprofit membership organization dedicated to improving the administration of justice, announces its call for nominations for the 11th Annual Toni House Journalism Award. The award recognizes outstanding news reporting that enhances public understanding of the courts and/or significantly improves the administration of justice. The deadline for entries is April 15, 2010. Posted 2/22/2010 Click here for more details.Statement by AJS President Regarding US Supreme Court Decision Today’s decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission poses another challenge for states that are struggling to insulate their judiciaries from the corrosive effects of money, interest group pressure and partisan politics in judicial elections. Posted 1/20/2010 Click here to read the full statement.AJS Judicial Diversity Research Published in The Judges’ Journal Research conducted as part of AJS’s “Preserving and Expanding Merit Selection” project has been published in a special diversity issue of the ABA Judicial Division’s The Judges’ Journal. “Racial and Gender Diversity on State Courts: An AJS Study” examines the institutional and political circumstances in which minority and women judges are most likely to be selected to state courts. It also provides an overview of the extent of judicial diversity over time and in 2008. Posted 12/30/2009 Click here to access the article.Indiana Chief Justice to Receive National Award Hon. Randall T. Shepard, Chief Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court, has been selected as the recipient of the Sixth Annual Dwight D. Opperman Award for Judicial Excellence. Chief Justice Shepard was chosen by a three-member panel: Hon. Judith S. Kaye, former Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals; Justice Ronald Robie, California Court of Appeal–Third Appellate District; and Judge Frederic Rodgers, Gilpin Combined Courts, Colorado. Posted 12/7/2009 To read the News Release, click here.Book Review: In Defense of Judicial Elections Bert Brandenburg and Rachel Paine Caufield review the book In Defense of Judicial Elections for the Sept-Oct issue of Judicature. Posted 10/23/2009 To read the book review, click here.Panel considers 6-person jury The Hawaii Supreme Court has asked the Hawaii State Chapter of AJS to review the issue of reducing the size of juries in civil and non-serious criminal trials from twelve to six members. The Court is exploring the issue as a way to balance current budgetary and fiscal restraints with the needs of the public and the administration of justice. Posted 10/12/2009 Click here to read a Honolulu Advertiser article about the committee’s workAJS Symposium Issue of Drake Law Review to Focus on Judicial Recusal The Seventh Annual AJS Symposium issue of Drake Law Review, to be published in spring 2010, will examine judicial disqualification and recusal issues in the wake of Caperton. Posted 8/4/2009 To view the Call for Papers submission guidelines, click here.Statement Regarding Supreme Court Decision in Caperton v. Massey The decision of the Supreme Court of the United States in Caperton v. Massey upholds important due process rights by requiring elected judges to step aside in cases involving substantial financial supporters. The effect of the decision will be to compel states in which judges are elected to clarify their rules for disqualification of judges based on campaign contributions. Posted 6/8/2009 To view the full statement, click here.Judge D. Brock Hornby to Receive Devitt Award D. Brock Hornby, Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, has been selected as the recipient of the 27th Annual Edward J. Devitt Distinguished Service to Justice Award. Hornby was chosen by a three-member panel chaired by Associate Justice Anthony M. Kennedy of the U.S. Supreme Court; other members of the panel are Judge Diarmuid F. O’Scannlain, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; and Chief Judge Donetta W. Ambrose, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Posted 5/11/2009 Click here to view the News Release.Former Attorney General Janet Reno Received Justice Award Hon. Janet Reno, former U.S. Attorney General, received the Justice Award, the American Judicature Society's highest honor, at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on Friday, April 17, 2009. Posted 4/6/2009 For view a list of past recipients, click here.AJS Statement on Iowa Supreme Court decision on marriage rights The question before the Iowa Supreme Court in Varnum et al. v. Brien was straightforward: Is the legislatively enacted Iowa Code statute limiting civil marriage to a union between a man and a woman in violation of the Iowa Constitution? Posted 4/3/2009 Click here to view the statement.2009 Justice Award Please join the American Judicature Society and the 2009 Event Co-Chairs as we honor our friend and distinguished colleague, Janet Reno, for a lifetime of work to ensure fairness and accuracy in the justice system. Posted 3/5/2009 Click here for more details.New Survey of Voters in Washington State Shows Support for Merit Selection In partnership with AJS, Washington State University researchers conducted a survey of voter attitudes towards judicial selection methods. Follow the link below to access a media release which contains links to the full report on the results. Posted 1/14/2009 Click here for media release and links to the full report.Voters in Four Jurisdictions Opt for Merit Selection on November 4 On Election Day 2008, voters in four counties cast ballots in favor of judicial merit selection. Posted 11/4/2008 Click here for an AJS statement on these efforts.Statement of AJS President Gordon L. Doerfer American Judicature Society President Gordon L. Doerfer released a statement today responding to recent attacks on merit selection systems by the Wall Street Journal editorial board. Posted 8/27/2008 Click here to read the full statement.AJS Elects Officers and Directors for 2008-2009 Gordon L. Doerfer of Boston, Massachusetts took office as President of the American Judicature Society at the Society’s Annual Meeting in New York on August 7. Posted 8/11/2008 Click here to learn about the new Officers and Directors.Howard Witt Wins National Journalism Award Howard Witt, national correspondent for the Chicago Tribune, has won the 2008 American Judicature Society's Toni House Journalism Award. Posted 6/16/2008 Click here to view the News Release.Tenth Circuit Judge to Receive National Devitt Award Deanell Reece Tacha, Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, has been selected as the recipient of the 26th Annual Edward J. Devitt Distinguished Service to Justice Award. Posted 5/23/2008 To view the News Release, click here.Working Towards a Better Justice System Since 1913 The American Judicature Society unveils a new resource for all who are interested learning more about or sharing with others the mission and message of AJS - to secure and promote an independent and qualified judiciary and a fair system of justice. Posted 4/16/2008 Click here to view the new video.AJS responds to proposed selection reform in Missouri The Missouri House of Representatives is currently considering a proposal (HCS HJR 49) that would alter the Missouri Plan for judicial selection. Posted 3/17/2008 For additional information, click here.Judicial Selection: How It Works, Why It Matters AJS is pleased to offer a new guide for state legislators on the complex and critical issue of selecting state court judges. Judicial Selection: How It Works, Why It Matters is a joint product of AJS and the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System. Posted 3/1/2008 Click here to download or to order a hard copy.Judicial Selection in the States Website The redesigned, updated, and expanded Judicial Selection in the States website, made possible by funding from Open Society Institute, is now online. New features and increased accessibility make this site an even more valuable go-to resource. To leave the AJS Web site and go to the Judicial Selection in the States site follow the link below. Posted 9/6/2007 Click here to view the Judicial Selection in the States website. |
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