Committee Officers and Procedure

Selection and appointment of the chair and vice chair rotates annually between MBA and BBA Presidential appointments. If the chair is appointed by the MBA President, the vice chair shall be appointed by the BBA President.

Duties

The chair shall appoint subcommittees as he or she shall deem appropriate, call meetings coordinate all communication between the committee and the governor, coordinate all communication between the committee and the Governor’s Council, maintain communication with the bar associations, and oversee all duties and functions of the committee.

The vice chair shall perform the above duties in the absence of, or by delegation from, the chair.

Committee Procedure

Each year, the committee chair shall establish a direct liaison with the governor in order to facilitate the review and evaluation process.  Each nomination or potential nomination shall be received with ample time to undergo proper consideration and review. Following the investigation and evaluation set forth below, the chair shall report the committee’s evaluation to the Governor’s Office and/or the Governor’s Council in time to enable the governor and/or the Governor’s Council to consider such evaluation prior to any final decision regarding nomination or appointment.

Methods of Investigation

If circumstances warrant, the committee may interview the candidate. Committee members shall:

• Examine the resumes, questionnaires and other available information
• Interview judges, attorneys, court personnel and other individuals who may have pertinent information regarding the candidate
• Receive comments and information from other committee members
• If circumstances warrant, committee members may individually speak with or request clarification from the candidate and/or review any legal writings of the candidate
• Obtain such further information as may be necessary or proper

Criteria for Evaluation

The committee shall maintain a consistent evaluation process, which shall include an assessment of:

• The candidate’s integrity, character and reputation
• The candidate’s knowledge and ability in the field of law
• The candidate’s professional experience. In evaluating experience, the committee recognizes that women and members of certain minority groups have entered the profession in large numbers only in recent years and that their opportunities for advancement in the profession may have been limited
• The candidate’s judicial temperament
• The candidate’s work habits and diligence
• The candidate’s financial responsibility
• The candidate’s commitment to public service
• Such other criteria as the panel for committee shall from time to time deem necessary to complete a full and fair evaluation