Picking Judges: How To Do It and Why It Matters

When: Tuesday, May 2, 2006 at 6 p.m.

Where: New York City Bar Association, 42 West 44th Street

Judicial selection reform has been a main focus of policy and political discussions in New York, especially since a recent federal court decision enjoined the use of the judicial convention system to nominate candidates for New York State Supreme Court. The court ruled that until the Legislature acts, Supreme Court nominees will be chosen through primary elections (effective 2007).

This panel will explore the various methods of selecting judges, including commission-based appointment or merit selection, direct primaries with and without public financing, and a reformed judicial delegate convention system. Additional issues will be explored, such as the establishment of independent judicial qualifying commissions, retention elections, and improved voter education and campaign financing disclosure.

Moderator:

VICTOR A. KOVNER, Chair, The Fund for Modern Courts

Speakers:

MICHAEL A. CARDOZO, New York City Corporation Counsel

DEBORAH GOLDBERG, Director, Democracy Program, Brennan Center for Justice

BETTINA B. PLEVAN, President, New York City Bar

PAUL WOOTEN, Paul Wooten & Associates; Civil Rights Attorney

Co-sponsored by: Citizens Union; Fund for Modern Courts; League of Women Voters of the City of New York ; This forum is supported in part by a grant from the League of Women Voters Education Fund and the Program on Constitutional and Legal Policy of the Open Society Institute.

About the Association
The Association of the Bar of the City of New York (www.nycbar.org) was founded in 1870, and since then has been dedicated to maintaining the high ethical standards of the profession, promoting reform of the law, and providing service to the profession and the public.

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