JUDICIAL ENDORSEMENT GUIDELINES FOR

THE ASIAN PACIFIC BAR OF CALIFORNIA

A. Requesting the Endorsement

1. Judicial candidates:

Candidates seeking endorsement from the Asian Pacific Bar of California (ABC) should send a letter or electronic mail requesting endorsement to the Chairperson of ABC’s Judicial Nominations Committee (the “Committee”). The letter or electronic mail must include a copy of the candidates’ completed judicial application form or Personal Data Questionnaire (PDQ). Candidates should mail their requests for endorsement at least three months prior to the date endorsement is required. Any requests for endorsement mailed less than three months prior to the date required may not be timely considered by ABC.

2. Confidentiality:

Due to the sensitive and political nature of judicial appointments in general, the names and application materials of all candidates seeking judicial endorsements shall be kept confidential by Committee members. However, Committee members may contact any person named in the candidate’s application materials as part of the endorsement consideration process. If a candidate does not want a particular person contacted by the Committee, he or she should so indicate in a separate letter.

B. The Evaluation Process

The Committee shall select one of its members to act as point person on each request for endorsement. The candidate has no input or involvement in selecting the point person or other members of the committee who will evaluate the candidate’s request for endorsement. Furthermore, the point person shall be, to the extent possible, a person unknown to the candidate.

1. The point person will conduct an initial review of the application materials and recommend a process to all other members of the Committee.

2. The point person will contact the candidate to arrange for an interview by phone or in person by at least two members of the Committee. The Committee may also contact references provided in the candidate’s PDQ for additional information. The point person will make a recommendation to other members of the Committee as to whether the Committee should recommend endorsement. Committee members will decide by majority vote of all voting Committee members as to whether the Committee will recommend endorsement to all ABC member organizations.

3. Upon approval by majority vote of the ABC’s member organizations, the ABC shall provide its endorsement to the candidate. After said vote, the ABC President, point person or other Committee member shall contact the candidate. If the candidate so requests, the ABC President, or his or her designee, shall draft an endorsement letter for the candidate. The letter of endorsement will be mailed to the requested office (usually the Governor’s Office and/or the Judicial Appointments Secretary, or to Senators and/or other appropriate review committee). A copy of the letter of endorsement will also be provided to the candidate.

4. If the ABC declines endorsement of a candidate, the ABC President will draft a letter informing the candidate of that fact. However, such a decision will not be publicized by the organization in any other way.

5. The ABC will make every effort to complete this process within three months. In some circumstances, the point person will inform the candidate if the endorsement process is expected to take longer than three months.

6. The candidate should contact the point person of the Committee to inform the Committee of any important changes in their application or to discuss any questions the candidate may have regarding his/her request for ABC endorsement.

C. The Criteria

When reviewing a candidate’s request for endorsement, the Committee and the ABC will consider the following factors (listed in no particular order):

1. Whether the candidate is a member of a minority attorneys’ organization and whether the candidate has received endorsements from other organizations, especially ABC member organizations. Endorsement from a candidate’s local minority bar association is favored but is not a prerequisite.

2. Whether the candidate has demonstrated commitment to the Asian Pacific American community, to any other minority group, or to a disenfranchised group such as the homeless or battered women.

3. Whether the candidate has ideas on how to improve the judicial process or access to the legal system.

4. The candidate’s integrity and character.

5. The candidate’s knowledge of the law and intellectual capacity.

6. The candidate’s legal experience (criminal or civil trials, etc.) and professional ability.

7. The candidate’s work ethic.

8. The candidate’s general reputation in the legal community, especially with Asian Pacific American attorneys and with special emphasis on a state-wide reputation.

9. The candidate’s involvement in civic and community affairs.

10. The candidate’s commitment to diversity and equal access to justice.

11. The candidate’s temperament/ability to judge.