Virginia Women Attorneys Association - Judicial Candidates Questionnaire

If you prefer, you may download and fill out the Questionnaire as an editable PDF form and email it to vwaa@live.com or mail it to:

I. PERSONAL DATA

If you were instructed to send the form to a specific email address, please enter it below, otherwise leave this field blank.
Candidate's Name *
Name of Court for Which You Are Seeking a Position
Home Address
Home/Mobile Telephone Number
Office Address
Office Telephone Number*
Email Address *
How long have you lived in the state or county of the position to which you are applying?
What are your hobbies and interests outside of the law?

II. EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Undergraduate School
Undergraduate Degree Received
List all notable activities and accomplishments
Law School
Law Degree Received
List all law school activities, clubs, honors, and interest groups
List involvement in law reviews and your publications
Other schooling or education received

III. LEGAL EXPERIENCE

Candidates, who are judges, please respond in Section III based on experience before assuming the bench in addition to responding to questions in Section VI.

Date of admission to practice law in Virginia and any other state
Are you in good standing for each admission? If you have not been in good standing, please state why.
Provide a chronology of your employment history from law school graduation to the present, including law practice, elected or appointed offices, judicial experience, and business or other non-legal employment. Please explain any absences from the workforce.
Describe all practice areas and state what proportion of your practice is focused in each area.
Describe how often you appear in court and the kinds of matters in which you appear.
What percentage of your court appearances in the last five years is in the following: (total must equal 100%):
1. Federal Courts Enter as a %
2. State Courts of Record Enter as a %
3. State Courts not of Record Enter as a %
4. Please Specify:
5. Other Courts or judicial bodies Enter as a %
6. Please Specify:
7. State or Federal administrative agenceies Enter as a %
What percentage of your litigation in the last 5 years was in (total must equal 100%):
1. Civil Enter as a %
2. Criminal Enter as a %
3. Administrative Enter as a %
What percentage of your trials in the last 5 years was (total must equal 100%):
1. Jury Enter as a %
2. Non-Jury Enter as a %
How many cases have you tried in the last 5 years?
Describe your practice in the county/court to which you are applying for a judicial position.
Describe your public interest or pro bono legal work in the last five years, including hours spent and case type.
Describe your legal practice at the federal or state appellate level.
Describe your experience lecturing, teaching, or participating in legal education courses, including CLEs.
Please list your publications.
Describe any other legal experience which has not been covered herein.

IV. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

List all boards, clubs, or organizations to which you belong and the basis on which any restrict membership, if at all. Please state any offices held and committee participation.

V. SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE WITH THE COURT TO WHICH YOU ARE APPLYING

Why do you want this position and why should you be selected?
What are your strengths and weaknesses for the position?
If applicable, describe how you have participated in court appointed work.
If applicable, describe your involvement in volunteer work for the court.
If applicable, please state why you have not applied to serve as a substitute judge?
If applicable, describe your experience with specialty dockets.
Describe any changes you would recommend to court procedures, local rules, docket structure and policies.
Describe your writing experience, and how that equips you to regularly author written opinions.

VI. EXPERIENCE AS A JUDGE

PLEASE RESPOND TO SECTION VI IF YOU ARE AN ACTIVE, RETIRED, OR SUBSTITUTE JUDGE.

Identify and describe jurisdiction of all elected or appointed judicial positions, including positions as an administrative law judge or member of the State Corporation Commission.
State how many cases have you presided over that have gone to verdict or judgment.
What percentage were:
1. Jury Trials Total for Jury and Bench must be 100%
2. Bench Trials Total for Jury and Bench must be 100%
What percentage were:
1. Civil Proceedings Total for Civil and Criminal must be 100%
2. Criminal Proceedings Total for Civil and Criminal must be 100%
For 3 cases within the past five years, provide:
1. A summary of the nature of the case
2. The outcome of the case
3. The name and contact information for all counsel of record and the Guardian ad Litem, if applicable
4. The citation of the case (if reported) or the docket number and a copy of the judgment or opinion. PLEASE NOTE: ANY ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS REQUESTED ON THIS FORM MUST BE SENT IN A SEPARATE EMAIL TO VWAA@LIVE.COM AND ANY OTHER EMAIL ADDRESS YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN. PLEASE INDICATE IN THE EMAIL THAT IT IS SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL FOR THE JUDICIAL CANDIDATES QUESTIONNAIRE.
For cases where you struggled with deciding an issue of law or fact or struggled to reach a decision, please describe your thought process in reaching the eventual outcome.
For cases where you realized you made an inaccurate decision regarding a finding of fact, interpretation of the law, or use of judicial discretion, describe the case and how you resolved the issue.
What areas of law have been the most difficult or challenging to preside over and why?
Provide the citations (or copies) of cases you would like the Committee to consider. PLEASE NOTE: ANY ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS REQUESTED ON THIS FORM MUST BE SENT IN A SEPARATE EMAIL TO VWAA@LIVE.COM AND ANY OTHER EMAIL ADDRESS YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN. PLEASE INDICATE IN THE EMAIL THAT IT IS SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL FOR THE JUDICIAL CANDIDATES QUESTIONNAIRE.
Identify and describe the instances in which you have considered recusal, assessed recusal, or have been asked to recuse yourself from a case in the past five years and provide your rationale for the decisions made.
While a judge, have you ever appeared on behalf of, permitted your name to be used for, or contributed to a candidate for public office?

VII. POSITIONS ON ISSUES

If anyone has filed a discrimination complaint against you personally, please describe without identifying the parties.
If you have other experience dealing with discrimination, please state in what capacity and how you handled each situation.
Identify and explain what you think are the most important issue(s) or problem(s) in the legal field and how you would or have addressed these issues or problems.
What do you consider to be your personal biases, if any? What have you done to address your own implicit bias?
What are your views on the importance of attorney health and wellness?
What are your views and practices in handling self- represented litigants, including appropriateness of judicial leeway?

VIII. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Have you ever been a party to a civil or criminal proceeding in which a verdict or conviction was rendered against you personally or as a director, officer or manager of an organization? If so, please describe, and include moral turpitude offenses, but do not include concealed carry or divorce matters.
Have any grievances, bar complaints or legal malpractice suits been filed against you for which you have been found guilty or in violation of the Rules of Professional or Judicial Conduct? If so, please state their nature and outcome and include any discipline or citation for a breach of ethics or unprofessional conduct. PLEASE PROVIDE COPIES OF ALL BAR COMPLAINT FINDINGS IN A SEPARATE EMAIL TO VWAA@LIVE.COM AND ANY OTHER EMAIL ADDRESS YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN. PLEASE INDICATE IN THE EMAIL THAT IT IS SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL FOR THE JUDICIAL CANDIDATES QUESTIONNAIRE.
Have you ever been convicted by federal, state, or other law enforcement authorities for violation of any federal law, state law, or county or municipal law, regulation, or ordinance? If so, please give details as follows (do not include traffic infractions and juvenile misdemeanors. PLEASE PROVIDE COPIES OF THE FINAL DISPOSITION IN A SEPARATE EMAIL TO VWAA@LIVE.COM AND ANY OTHER EMAIL ADDRESS YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN. PLEASE INDICATE IN THE EMAIL THAT IT IS SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL FOR THE JUDICIAL CANDIDATES QUESTIONNAIRE.
1. Entity/county/state
2. Date of conviction
3. Nature of the conviction
4. Any other relevant information you want to submit
Have you ever held public office other than a judicial office? If so, give the details, including the offices involved, whether elected or appointed, and the dates of your service.
For candidates who have been members of a legislature, what legislation did you introduce or support during your elected terms that significantly affected women? Describe your position on that legislation.
Is there any reason or circumstance that would impair your ability to perform judicial tasks?
Do you have any immediate family members with an interest in any organization, including financially, through employment, or otherwise, that may present potential conflicts-of-interest if you assume the judicial position? If so, explain how you would address and resolve any such conflicts.
Is there is any other area or information relevant to this position that you would like to address that has not already been covered?
Please list honors and recognition received while practicing law or serving as a judge.
Please list names, addresses, and phone numbers of persons whom we can contact to discuss your qualifications.

PLEASE SEND YOUR RESUME AND (OPTIONALLY) UP TO 3 LETTERS OF REFERENCE OR RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU WOULD LIKE THE COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER IN A SEPARATE EMAIL TO VWAA@LIVE.COM AND ANY OTHER EMAIL ADDRESS YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN. PLEASE INDICATE IN THE EMAIL THAT IT IS SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL FOR THE JUDICIAL CANDIDATES QUESTIONNAIRE.

Today's Date

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Judicial Candidates Questionnaire

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