Procedure for Judicial and Public Appointment Candidates Seeking MLBA Recommendation:
I. Requesting the Recommendation
Please send an email correspondence requesting the endorsement (“Request”). In the email, enclose a copy of the completed judicial application form and cover letter addressing the criteria set forth in Part III to the Chair or Co-Chairs of MLBA (“Chair or Co-Chairs”) at [email protected].
The Board meets monthly on the second Tuesday of every month. A candidate should submit the Request at least one month prior to the date the endorsement is required. (Please note: MLBA may consider a Request that is submitted less than one month prior to the date the endorsement is required if an explanation is provided.)
Confidentiality: The names and application materials of all candidates shall be kept confidential by the MLBA Board (“Board”). Please note that the Board may contact any person named in the candidate’s application materials as part of the endorsement consideration process. If the candidate does not want the Board to contact a particular person, the candidate must indicate this preference in the Request.
II. The Evaluation Process
The Chair or Co-Chairs shall serve as the contact people for each Request. The candidate has no input or involvement in selecting the contact people or the Board members involved in the evaluation of the candidate’s Request.
The Board will conduct a review of the application materials, and consider the criteria listed below.
The Chair or Co-Chairs of MLBA will coordinate with the candidate to arrange for an interview, by phone or in person, with at least two Board members.
The Board will decide by a majority vote as to whether it will endorse, decline to endorse, or request additional information for the endorsement. The Chair or Co-Chairs will communicate any requests by the Board for additional information.
Upon approval by the Board, the Chair or Co-Chairs will draft a letter of support for the candidate. The letter of endorsement will be mailed directly to the designated address listed in the application material. A copy of the letter of endorsement will also be provided to the candidate via email or mail to the candidate’s home address.
Please note that unless otherwise communicated, an endorsement means MLBA may, at its discretion, publicize and promote the candidate, including but not limited to posting on the MLBA website, communicating the endorsement to its membership, or publicizing in any other manner.
If the Board declines endorsement of a candidate, the Chair or Co-Chairs will inform the candidate of that fact.
The Board will make every effort to complete this process within one month. In some circumstances, the Chair or Co-Chairs will inform the candidate if the endorsement process is expected to take longer than one month.
The candidate must contact the Chair or Co-Chairs of any important changes in the application or to discuss any questions the candidate may have regarding their request for endorsement.
III. Criteria
When reviewing a candidate’s request for endorsement, the Committee and the Board will consider the following:
- Whether the candidate is a member of a minority attorneys’ organization.
- Whether the candidate has demonstrated commitment to the LGBTQ+ community, and/or to any other minority group.
- Whether the candidate has ideas on how to improve the judicial process or access to the legal system.
- Integrity/character.
- Knowledge of the law.
- Legal experience (criminal or civil litigation or trials, hearings before administrative or regulatory tribunals, in-house counsel experience, transactional work, academia, legal writing and analysis, mediation, arbitration, negotiation) and professional ability.
- Work ethic.
- General reputation in the legal community, especially with LGBTQ+ attorneys.
- Civic/community affairs.
- Commitment to diversity and equal justice.
- Temperament/ability to judge.
- Intellectual curiosity.