Some years ago the New Yorker ran a cartoon of a man kneeling by the side of his bed, hands folded in prayer, saying "I'm not asking for much, but I am asking that whatever I get be really good quality." While it's easy to laugh at this example of extreme consumerism, the man in the cartoon believes he deserves quality. And he does.

As do all of us. Maybe not the quality associated with a well-tailored suits or luxury cars, but quality in our institutions. Quality we deserve from our government. Quality we deserve in our courts and judges. In fact, a recent Justice at Stake study found that 94 percent of respondents either strongly or somewhat agreed with the statement, "We need strong courts that are free from political influence."

Because courts, a coequal branch of government, have the power to rule against either of the government branches without fear of reprisal, we need assurance that the judges making decisions are smart, competent, fair and committed to excellence.

Each state handles the selection of judges differently. Some state legislatures appoint judges, while in other states, governors make appointments. There are partisan elections and non-partisan elections. All processes have the same goal: judges with experience, integrity and professional competence who are unbiased and service-minded.

Although identifying judges with those qualities can be a challenge, there are several places to look for information on judicial candidates. State and local bar associations, state or local chapters of the League of Women Voters, editorial pages of newspapers, candidate Internet sites and state of local boards of election all provide information on background and experience of potential judges.

As a public service to your community, you can provide reminders of the qualities that make for excellent judges and where to find information on judicial candidates with the attached bookmark. The pdf has a place for your bar association logo and contact information. For a copy of the pdf, click here.

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© 2008 American Bar Association