Judicial Elections Evaluation Committee
The JEEC prepares an evaluation of candidates in contested Superior Court judicial elections in Los Angeles County; makes evaluations by interviewing candidates and communicating with lawyers, judges, and others; and publishes ratings of candidates.
The Judicial Elections Evaluation Committee (JEEC) consists of LACBA members who evaluate candidates running for contested judicial offices in Los Angeles County.
JEEC evaluations are regularly cited by voter guides, journalists, and researchers to help voters make educated decisions when casting their ballots. In October 2024 alone, JEEC’s evaluation web page had more than 11,000 visits.
JEEC members begin the process as soon as candidates file for judicial office. Each lawyer volunteers about 120 hours of time each election cycle to ensure the evaluations are thorough and fair. Mandated Implicit Bias and Civility training is provided as part of eligibility to serve. Committee members are diverse, coming from all backgrounds, ethnicities, areas of practice, and geographic locations around Los Angeles County.
Join us in this vital work!
VIDEOS RELATED TO THE JUDICIARY
The importance of participating in state and local elections of judges. From Bolch Judicial Institute of Duke Law.
Visit the Video Channel of the California Judges Association's (CJA) Judicial Fairness Coalition, including topics on the Independence of the Judiciary and How Judges Become Judges.
Download the accompanying PDF here.
What Makes Judges Independent? Presented by the Hungarian Res Iudicata Egyesület Legal Association.
How the Rule of Law Affects (and Protects!) All of Us. Presented by Bolch Judicial Institute of Duke Law School.
ABOUT OUR WORK
We believe that the JEEC’s work is an essential part of the democratic process in Los Angeles County. Voters have very few other resources to assist them in evaluating candidates for judicial office. Our review process is thorough, and we strive to be a reliable and unbiased source of information about candidates for judicial office.
– Susan Schwartz, JEEC Chair
OUR PROCESS
Committee members contact all candidates and ask them to submit a detailed background questionnaire and a list of 75 references.
Committee members research each candidate’s background and contact each of their references. We seek to have a thorough understanding of each candidate’s background, professional experience and professional reputation. After this review, we interview each candidate who participates in the process, and evaluate their qualifications to serve as a Superior Court Judge.
Candidates are rated Exceptionally Well Qualified, Well Qualified, Qualified, or Not Qualified, according to the rating criteria we have published on the JEEC Rules of Procedure. Candidates who participate in the process may appeal a rating of Qualified or Not Qualified. Once all the ratings have been finalized they are sent to LACBA’s Board of Governors for review, and once approved are published on our website.
JEEC members are appointed by the President of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. They must agree to keep candidate information confidential and disclose any conflict of interest that may impair their ability to be fair to a candidate.
Additional Resources:
View the JEEC Rules of Procedure
California Judicial Election System 101
Judges play a critical role in upholding the rule of law. In California, lawyers can become judges by appointment by the Governor or by election by registered voters. Once a judge takes the bench, whether by appointment or by election, they must stand for reelection every six years. These elections are staggered, so that one-third of the judges stand for reelection every two years. Only those judges who are opposed by another candidate appear on the ballot. In addition, candidates may run for “open” judicial positions. These positions are open because a judge has retired or resigned and has not been replaced by the Governor before the election period.
