Thursday, September 15, 2011
Page 3
L.A. Superior Court to Host Panel Discussion on Process for Judicial Appointments
By a MetNews Staff Writer
The Los Angeles Superior Court yesterday announced plans to host a panel discussion on Oct. 15 to provide bar associations and attorneys with guidance gubernatorial judicial selection process, as well as the role of diversity in the vetting of candidates.
Gov. Jerry Brown’s senior advisor on judicial appointments, Joshua Groban, as well as representatives from the Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation; and the Los Angeles County Bar Association are slated to discuss their role in the judicial appointment process.
There is no admission charge for the invitation-only session, which is set to take place from 8:30-12 in the Special Events Center, Room 222, of the Stanley Mosk Courthouse.
Presiding Judge Lee Smalley Edmon remarked yesterday that California is “one of the most dynamic and diverse states in the union,” and that a “diverse bench is essential to the delivery of impartial justice and to the preservation of confidence in our courts.”
She suggested that judicial decision making “is enriched by including different voices and perspectives in the deliberative process.”
Judge Jose Sandoval, chair of the Superior Court’s Diversity Committee and an organizer of the panel, said he hoped the attendance of bar associations at the session will “highlight the importance of diversity on the bench and encourage minorities, members of underrepresented communities, and lawyers with varied legal practices, to seek a judicial career.”
To qualify for a judgeship in California, an attorney must be a member of the State Bar for 10 years. About 90 percent of the state’s judicial officers are gubernatorial appointees; approximately 10 percent are elected.
Additional information is available from Camilo Cruz, community relations administrator, at 213-974-5178.
Copyright 2011, Metropolitan News Company