Endorsements

Procedure for Judicial and Public Office Candidates

Seeking APABA-CO Endorsement

A.    Requesting the Endorsement

Candidates for judicial or public office should send an email correspondence (to [email protected]) requesting the endorsement (“Request”) to the President of APABA-CO.  In the Request, include a copy of any relevant materials (e.g., candidate/judicial applications, references, writing samples) that may assist Endorsement Committee in making its endorsement determination.

A candidate should submit the Request at least two weeks prior to the date APABA-CO’s endorsement is required.  Any Request within two weeks of the date the endorsement is required must be accompanied by an explanation of why the Request was not made sooner.  APABA-CO reserves the right to not consider a Request submitted less than two weeks prior to the date its endorsement is required.

Confidentiality:  The names and Request materials of all candidates shall be kept confidential by APABA-CO.  Please note that the Endorsement Committee may contact any person named in the candidate’s Request materials as part of the endorsement consideration process.  If the candidate does not want the Endorsement Committee to contact a particular person, the candidate must indicate this preference in the Request.

B.    The Evaluation Process

The President shall serve as the contact person for each request for endorsement, unless the President, a Board Member, or an Officer identifies a conflict of interest.  The candidate shall have no input in selecting the Board or Endorsement Committee members evaluating the candidate’s Request or in the evaluation process itself.

The APABA-CO Endorsement Committee will review the Request and consider the criteria (“Criteria”) listed below.

The Endorsement Committee chair or co-chairs will schedule an interview, by phone or in person, of the candidate by at least two Endorsement Committee members.  Upon completion of the interview, the Endorsement Committee will make a recommendation to the Board.

The Board will decide by majority vote whether or not to endorse the candidate or to request additional information from the candidate.  The President will communicate all decisions by the Endorsement Committee or Board to the candidate.

Upon a vote to endorse the candidate by the Board, the President will draft a letter of endorsement.  The letter of endorsement will be mailed directly to the designated address listed in the Request materials.  A copy of the letter of endorsement will also be provided to the candidate via email or mail to the candidate’s home address.

The Board will make every effort to complete this process within two weeks of the Request.  In some circumstances, the President will inform the candidate if the endorsement process is expected to take longer than two weeks.

The candidate must contact the President of any important changes in the Request or to discuss any questions the candidate may have regarding the Request.

C.    Criteria

When reviewing a candidate’s Request, the Endorsement Committee and the Board will consider the following Criteria, among others, to the extent applicable to the position being sought by the candidate.  Not all Criteria will be weighted equally.