JUDICIAL ENDORSEMENT POLICIES

The CWBA actively engages in the decisions to appoint Colorado judges. As of October 2023, we have revised our judicial endorsement process for all vacancies in district courts, Court of Appeals, and Colorado Supreme Court.

IMPORTANT PROCESS UPDATES:

Any judicial candidate who seeks endorsement from the CWBA must submit a written request for endorsement within 48 hours of when the relevant shortlist is announced unless the nominees have been advised by the CWBA of a specific date by which to submit endorsement requests. The CWBA will only consider endorsing a nominee if that nominee has asked for the CWBA’s endorsement and after the nominee participates in a 30-minute interview with a panel of three CWBA Judicial Committee members. The interview will be conducted at a mutually agreed upon time and location.

Within 24 hours of when the relevant shortlist is announced, the CWBA will send an email to all shortlisted nominees with an overview of the CWBA’s new due diligence process. To request endorsement from the CWBA, a judicial candidate should “reply all” to the email and simply state that they are seeking endorsement. Once the request is received, a Judicial Committee Co-Chair will ask the candidate to provide their availability for the required 30-minute panel interview. The Co-Chair will notify the candidate of the selected date, time, and location of the interview at least 24 hours in advance of the interview.

The CWBA values transparency and equity. As such, all candidates will be asked the same set of 7 interview questions which may be found here.

Additionally, the CWBA asks all of its members to submit comments about the judicial nominees, and specifically seeks comments regarding the nominees’ qualifications in the following areas:

1. Experience
2. Legal ability
3. Reputation for fairness and integrity
4. Judicial temperament
5. Treatment of women
6. Treatment of people of color and/or historically marginalized groups
7. Dedication to goals consistent with the stated purposes of the CWBA
8. Any and all qualifications that are consistent with the stated purposes of the CWBA.

Once all interviews have been conducted, the CWBA Executive Committee will review a summary of interview notes, the candidate’s application, and all member comments to vote on whether to endorse a judicial candidate. If the Executive Committee votes to endorse, the President of the CWBA will draft then send an endorsement letter to the Governor’s Office along with an anonymized compilation of CWBA member comments.

The CWBA’s endorsement policy for federal court vacancies remains unchanged. Nominees seeking endorsement for a federal court vacancy should follow the federal judicial appointment process.

Any questions or other requests for federal endorsement should be submitted in writing via email to the current CWBA President (Emma Garrison) and the current Judicial Committee Co-Chairs (Andrea Bronson, Rebecca Cohn, and Rachel Burkhart). Requests for endorsement should be sent within 72 hours of when the relevant shortlist is announced unless the nominees have been advised by the CWBA of a specific date by which to submit endorsement requests. The CWBA will only consider endorsing a nominee if that nominee has asked for the CWBA's endorsement.

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