Legislative Program Review and Investigations Committee
Judicial Selection Study
Judicial Selection Commission Application
for new candidates for judgeships
The attached is a copy of the application used by the Judicial Selection Commission for new candidates for judgeships. The application has been modified by program review staff by deleting spaces left between questions for the applicant to use.
STATE OF CONNECTICUT
JUDICIAL SELECTION COMMISSION
NAME: ________________________________________ DATE: _______________________
Please type answers to all questions immediately below the question on the ORIGINAL form. DO NOT ALTER OR RETYPE ORIGINAL FORM. If additional space is necessary, attach your answers on separate pages.
This formatted application is also available on computer disc.
GENERAL
1. State your full name. (If you have ever been known by any other name, please state the name and reason for change.)
2. State your office and home address and phone numbers.
3. Give the date and place of your birth.
4. Are you a U.S. citizen ?
EDUCATION
5. (a) List each college and law school from which you received a degree, include the dates of attendance, the degree(s) awarded, your QPR/Ranking, your undergraduate college major, and a copy of the transcript from each law school attended.
(b) List each college and law school you attended but from which you did not receive a degree. State your reason(s) for leaving if you were not in good standing at the time.
6. List any academic distinctions which you received in law school.
7. List all law journals, law reports, and advance sheets that you read regularly.
CONDUCT
8. (a) Have you been convicted of violating any federal, state, county, or municipal law, regulation, or ordinance? If so, give the details. Include Operating Under the Influence of Liquor or Drugs, Evading Responsibility In the Operation of a Motor Vehicle, Reckless Driving, Negligent Homicide With a Motor Vehicle, Misconduct With Motor Vehicle, or Operating With a Suspended License.
(b) Have you ever been disbarred? If so, provide the details and date of readmission.
9. Have you ever had a client file a complaint against you or sue you? If so, state the nature of the complaint and its disposition.
10. Have you ever been a party (real rather than nominal) in any legal proceedings other than those described in response to question 11? If so, give the particulars, including the nature of each case, case names and numbers, courts, and dates. Do not list proceedings in which you were merely a guardian ad litem or stockholder. Include all legal proceedings in which you were a party in interest, a material witness, were named as a co-conspirator or a correspondent, and any grand jury investigation in which you figured as a subject, or in which you appeared as a witness.
11. Have you ever been found in violation of ethical or professional rules of conduct or been disciplined for a breach of such conduct by any court, administrative agency, bar association, disciplinary committee, or other professional group? If so, state the particulars.
12. Have you violated any criminal laws of the United States or any state pertaining to the possession, use or sale of illegal drugs or do you currently use illegal drugs? If so, please explain.
13. Have you or has any one on your behalf, or with your knowledge, made or promised to make any payment or contribution to any political party, candidate or any other person in connection with the submission of your name as a candidate for judge?
14. Is there anything not otherwise disclosed that could adversely affect your ability or qualifications to serve as a judge?
HEALTH
15. Do you have any condition that would preclude you from serving as a judge with or without reasonable accommodation? If so, describe the condition.
16. Are you presently consuming alcohol or other drugs to the extent that such consumption would interfere with your ability to serve on the bench?
CURRENT EMPLOYMENT
17. If you are not actively engaged in the practice of law at the present time, state the details of your current employment.
18. If you are or have previously been engaged in the practice of law, describe the general character of your practice. Indicate the nature of your typical clients and whether you have practiced in any specialty area. If the nature of your practice has been substantially different at any time, give the details, including the nature of your earlier practice.
19. List all courts in which you are presently admitted to practice, including the dates of admission in each case. Give the same information for administrative bodies having special admission requirements.
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
20. Indicate the periods of any military service, including the dates, and the branch in which you served, your rank or rate, your serial number, and the kind of discharge received.
21. If you have practiced in other localities or have been connected with law firms, corporate law departments, or governmental agencies, other than where you are currently employed, give the particulars, including the locations, the names of the firms, corporate law departments, or agencies, your relationships thereto, and the relevant dates. Indicate any period during which you practiced alone.
22. Have you ever been engaged in any occupation, business, or profession other than the practice of law? If so, give the details, including dates.
23. Have you ever been a candidate for or held public or judicial office? If so, give the details, including the offices or courts involved, dates, whether you were elected or appointed, and the length of service, if any.
LITIGATION EXPERIENCE
24. (a) Do you regularly appear in court?
(b) What percentage of your appearances in the last five years was in: (1) federal court? (2) state courts of record? (3) other courts?
(c) What percentage of your litigation in the last five years was: (1) civil? (2) criminal?
(d) What percentage of your trials in the last five years was: (1) jury? (2) non-jury?
(e) State the number of cases you have tried to conclusion in courts of record before a judge or a jury, during each of the past five years, indicating whether you were sole, associate, or chief counsel.
(f) Describe 10 litigated or non-litigated matters which, in your opinion, are the most significant cases you have handled and give the citations if the cases were reported.
(g) State in detail your experience in adversary proceedings before administrative boards or commissions during the last five years.
NON-LITIGATION LEGAL EXPERIENCE
25. (a) Summarize your experience in court prior to the last five years. If during any prior period you appeared in court with greater frequency than during the last five years, indicate the period during which this was so and give for such prior periods the same data requested in Question 24.
(b) Summarize your experience in adversary proceedings before administrative boards or commissions prior to the last five years.
(c) Have you served as a small claims commissioner, fact-finder, arbitrator, attorney trial referee, special master, or in any similar capacity? If so, provide the number and nature of cases and the approximate dates.
26. Have you appeared before any state government agency, officer, or commission? If so, state fully the circumstances of such appearance.
27. Have you published any books or articles? If so, list them, stating the publishing dates and any citations.
28. Have you ever been involved in any activity where you have had a leadership role which involved significant decision-making? If so, list the activity, the position you held, and the time periods.
BUSINESS INVOLVEMENTS AND FINANCES
29. Are you a director, officer, or stockholder of any business or corporation? Would you sever these connections if you are chosen to be a judge?
30. Are you a member of any partnership or joint venture? Would you sever these connections if you are appointed a judge?
31. Do you have any other business association or relationship of any kind which would not be severed if you are appointed a judge?
32. If you are now an officer or director of any business organizations or otherwise engaged in the management of any business enterprise, give the details, including the name of the enterprise, the nature of the business, the title of your position, the nature of your duties, and the term of your service. If it is not your intention to resign such positions and give up any other participation in the management of any of the foregoing enterprises, state your reasons.
33. Have you ever filed for bankruptcy or had bankruptcy proceedings initiated against you? If so, explain.
34. Do you presently have any noncurrent unpaid tax obligations? If so, explain.
35. Can you adequately support your family and meet financial obligations on the salary of the judgeship to which you aspire? (Candidates may be asked detailed questions regarding financial status at oral interview, if held.)
CIVIC, PROFESSIONAL, AND OTHER ASSOCIATIONS
36. List all memberships in bar associations and professional societies and give the titles and dates of any offices which you have held in such groups. Also list bar association or professional society committees you have chaired, and memberships on any committees which you believe to be of particular significance.
37. State all civic, charitable, or social organizations with which you have been connected, and the facts concerning such connection, for the past five (5) years.
38. Do you currently belong or have you belonged to any organization that discriminates on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, disability, ancestry, or religion through either formal membership requirements or the practical implementation of membership policies? If so, state the organization and the dates of membership.
39. Describe any pro bono or community service activities in which you are or have been engaged including any connections to civic, charitable, or social organizations.
40. List any honors, prizes, awards, or other forms of recognition which you have received since you graduated from law school.
REFERENCES
41. List the names, complete mailing addresses, and telephone numbers of six lawyers with whom you have dealt most frequently in the last three years. Indicate whether or not they were involved in litigated or non-litigated matters with you.
42. State the names and complete mailing addresses of six lawyers and/or judges who know you and your work and who can be interviewed about your legal qualifications as a judge. (The Commission will contact these people directly and a non-response from any of them will be considered to be an unfavorable response.) People listed in response to question #41 should not be listed in response to this question.
MISCELLANEOUS
43. What do you feel are your strongest qualifications for judicial office and what life experiences would be helpful to you if you are appointed to said office?
44. If you have made a prior application, which has been unsuccessful, set forth reasons why you feel your present circumstances would support approval at this time. Attach any supporting data.
45. State any other information which you regard as pertinent.
46. Submit with this application:
(a) your most recent Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory rating
(b) a copy of your latest resume, and
(c) a copy of your last-filed IRS Tax Return.
GENERAL RELEASE
Please complete and attach this page to your application.
I understand that the completion and filing of this application and supplemental information, and the interview, if given, with members of the Connecticut Judicial Selection Commission will be the basis for a finding by such commission of my present qualifications for judicial office. I agree to furnish additional information orally or in writing as may be required by said commission. I hereby request and authorize anyone whose knowledge of my person and character might otherwise be considered privileged, to furnish such information as it relates to my qualifications to serve as a judge, if requested by such commission.
I hereby authorize the commission to release a copy of this completed questionnaire to the Office of the Governor and to the Judiciary Committee of the General Assembly.
I hereby request and authorize any Grievance Committee to disclose to the Judicial Selection Commission the contents of any grievance file containing a complaint against me. I understand that such disclosures will be made in order that said commission may make a general evaluation of my fitness for judicial office. I further understand that said commission will not disclose to any person the existence of any such file or the contents thereof.
I hereby attest that the responses made to the questions in this application are true and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief.
________________________ Signature
________________________ Print or type name
DATE ADMITTED TO THE CONNECTICUT BAR _______________________________
Subscribed and sworn to before me this _____day of_____________, 19______
_________________________________ Notary Public
_________________________________
My Commission Expires:____________
Legislative Program Review and Investigations Committee
Judicial Selection Study
Judicial Selection Commission Application
for incumbent judges seeking reappointment to the same court
The attached is a copy of the application used by the Judicial Selection Commission for incumbent judges seeking reappointment to the same court. The application has been modified by program review staff by deleting spaces left between questions for the applicant to use.
QUESTIONNAIRE TO SITTING JUDGES SEEKING REAPPOINTMENT
Please type answers to all questions immediately below the question on the ORIGINAL form. DO NOT ALTER OR RETYPE ORIGINAL FORM. If additional space is necessary, attach your answers on separate pages.
This formatted application is also available on computer diskette.
Name Date:___________
Home address and phone no.
Date of birth Date of appointment_____________
l. Can you perform the duties and functions of the position
as a judge at all times as required. If you are unable
to with reasonable accommodation, please explain. Please
fill out the attached general medical release form.
2. Do you or any member of your immediate family presently have any business connections, including any membership on any Board of Directors, that would give rise to any conflict of interest, per Canon 5 of the Code of Judicial Conduct?
3. Do you authorize the immediate release to the Judicial
Selection Commission of the following concerning you?
(a) Any Judicial Department evaluations.
(b) Any correspondence and/or complaints or actions
taken by the Judicial Review Council.
4. Since the date of your last appointment, have you engaged in the possession, use or sale of illegal drugs?
5. Since the date of your last appointment, are you aware of any complaints concerning your conduct having been made to a person within the judicial system, including any administrative judge, or the Chief Court Administrator, or to the Office of the Governor, the Judicial Review Council, or to any Grievance Committee. If so, please explain the complaint and the disposition of the complaint.
6. Since the date of your last appointment, have any complaints been made about you, of which you are aware, by lawyers and/or litigants, concerning your temperament or your alleged conduct in the courtroom? If yes, please explain.
7. Since the date of your last appointment, have you had any
occasion to utilize the contempt power for any action, occurring in the presence of the court, other than for, the enforcement of matrimonial orders? If so, please,explain each occasion.
8. Since the date of your last appointment, please provide,
your court assignments chronologically.
9. Since the date of your last appointment, have you been,
arrested, charged, or held by federal, state or other
law, enforcement authorities for violation of any law?
If so, please give details.
10. State all civic, charitable or social organizations with
which you are associated.
11. List any honors, prizes, awards or other forms of
recognition which you have received.
l2. Since the date of your last appointment, have you ever
been a party (real party rather than nominal) in any
legal proceedings? If so, please give the particulars.
l3. List the five most significant decisions and/or cases in
which you have been involved since the date of your last
appointment. Please list that information on a separate
sheet of paper and attach it to the questionnaire.
14. Have you published legal writings, other than judicial
opinions during the last term of your appointment? If
so, give citation.
15. Please provide a list of cases, since the date of your
last appointment in which an appeal was taken to the
Appellate Court or Supreme Court from a decision
rendered by you. Please provide the citations to the
Appellate and Supreme Court opinions and briefly state
the central issue and the result of the appeal.
16. Was any criminal sentence imposed subsequently reduced
or increased by Sentence Review Division?
l7. Have you ever been asked to disqualify yourself where you have refused to do so? If so, please explain.
18. Please provide the names and addresses of five lawyers who have appeared most frequently before you in the past two years. In addition, please list two judges with whom the Commission can consult concerning your continuing qualifications/ability to serve as a judge of the Superior Court.
19. Do you presently sit on any state boards or commissions,
such as Sentencing Review Division, Judicial Inquiry
Commission, Criminal Justice Commission, Public Defender
Commission, Judicial Review Council, etc.? If so, what
are the terms of such appointments?
20. Please attach a copy of your latest resume to your
completed questionnaire.
21. Have you ever filed for bankruptcy or had bankruptcy
proceedings initiated against you? If so, please
explain.
22. Do you presently have any noncurrent unpaid tax
obligations? If so, please explain.
23. Is there anything not otherwise disclosed above
concerning you or any member of your immediate family
that would be embarrassing should it be publicized or
that could adversely affect your ability to continue to
serve as a judge?
24. Please attach any additional statement you would like to
make about your judicial or personal experiences that
you believe are relevant to your renomination.
GENERAL RELEASE
Please complete and attach this page to your response to the questionnaire.
I understand that the completion and filing of this questionnaire and supplemental information and the interview with members of the Connecticut Judicial Selection Commission will be the basis for a finding by such Commission of my present qualifications for Judicial Office. I agree to furnish additional information orally or in writing as may be required to said Commission. I hereby request and authorize any persons whose knowledge of my person and character might otherwise be considered privileged, to furnish such information as relates to my qualifications to serve as a judge as may be requested by such Commission.
I hereby authorize the Commission to release a copy of this questionnaire to the Office of the Governor, and to the Judiciary Committee of the General Assembly.
I hereby request and authorize any Grievance Committee, the Office of the Governor, the Chief Court Administrator's Office, the Judicial Review Council, the Judiciary Committee of the Connecticut Bar Association, and the Judicial Department to disclose to said Commission, the contents of any file containing a complaint or evaluation concerning me. I understand that such disclosures will be made in order that said Commission may make a general evaluation of my fitness for judicial office. I further understand that said Commission will not disclose to any person the existence of any such file or the contents thereof.
____________________________________
Signature
____________________________________
Print or type name
Subscribed and sworn to before me this_______day
of_______________,______
_____________________________________
Notary Public
My Commission Expires:_______________
MEDICAL RELEASE
Please complete and attach this page to your response to the questionnaire.
Name and address of your primary physician.
I hereby authorize and request Doctor to disclose to the Judicial Selection Commission all medical records and contents of medical files concerning me in order that said Commission may make a general evaluation of my fitness for judicial office.
Dated at_________________________, this________________day of___________________,________
____________________________________
Signature
____________________________________
Print or type name
Witnessed:
____________________________________
Commissioner of the Superior Court
Notary Public
My Commission Expires:_____________________________________