Virginia Women Attorneys Association - Judicial Candidates Questionnaire

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Virginia Women Attorneys Association
PO Box 3806
Merrifield, VA 22116-3806

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Candidate's Name
Gender Male Female
Name of Court for Which You Are Seeking a Position
If you were instructed to send the form to a specific email address, please enter it below, otherwise leave this field blank.

I. PERSONAL DATA

Name *
Home Address
Home Telephone
Office Address
Daytime Telephone *
Email Address *
Date of Birth *

II. EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Undergraduate School
Undergraduate Degree Received
Year Undergraduate Degree Received
Law School
Law Degree Received
Year Law Degree Received
Other Degrees
Honors

III. LEGAL EXPERIENCE

Candidates who have held judicial office for seven years or less should respond to the questions in this section based upon experience prior to assuming the bench in addition to responding to questions in the Judicial Office Section.

Date of admission to practice law in Virginia
What percentage of your legal practice is (total must equal 100%):

Criminal Enter as a %
Tort Enter as a %
Real estate Enter as a %
Corporate Enter as a %
Trusts and estates Enter as a %
Domestic relations Enter as a %
Labor relations Enter as a %
Bankruptcy Enter as a %
Other (specify) Enter as a %
Enter any specifics below:

What percentage do you appear in court? Enter as a %
What percentage of your court appearances in the last 5 years was in (total must equal 100%):

Federal courts Enter as a %
State courts of record Enter as a %
Other courts (specify) Enter as a %
State or federal administrative agency proceedings (specify) Enter as a %
Enter any specifics below:

What percentage of your litigation in the last 5 years was (total must equal 100%):

Civil Enter as a %
Criminal Enter as a %
Administrative Enter as a %

What percentage of your trials in the last 5 years was (total must equal 100%):

Jury Enter as a %
Non-Jury Enter as a %

In the past 5 years, how many cases have you tried to conclusion in courts of record? less than 5 5 to 10 10 to 20 20 or more
Describe the general nature of your legal practice. Describe the nature of the firm, if applicable. If the practice has been substantially different in the past, elaborate.
Describe your public interest or pro bono legal work in the last five years. Approximately how much time have you devoted to such service? What kinds of cases did you take?
Have you had any experience with sex, age, or race discrimination cases (such as Title VII, 42 U.S.C. 1983, etc.)?
Briefly describe your legal practice at the appellate level including the Virginia Supreme Court, Federal Courts of Appeals, and United States Supreme Court.
Have you participated in C.L.E. seminars in the last five years as a faculty member? Have you served as a faculty member at any schools within the last five years?

IV. JUDICIAL OFFICE

State (chronologically) any judicial offices you have held, including positions as an administrative law judge or member of the State Corporation Commission, whether such position was elected or appointed, and a description of the jurisdiction of each such court.
Approximately how many cases have you presided over that have gone to verdict or judgment?
Of these, approximately what percent were:
1. Jury Trials Total for Jury and Bench must be 100%
2. Bench Trials Total for Jury and Bench must be 100%
3. Civil Proceedings Total for Civil and Criminal must be 100%
4. Criminal Proceedings Total for Civil and Criminal must be 100%
For 5 representative cases over which you have presided within the past five years, provide: (a) a summary of the nature of the case; (b) the outcome of the case; (c) the name and contact information for counsel who had a significant role in the trial of the case; and (d) the citation of the case (if reported) or the docket number and a copy of the opinion or judgment (if not reported).
Provide the citations (or you may provide copies, if unpublished, submitted to vwaa@live.com) of cases in which your decision was reversed or affirmed by a reviewing court.
Provide a description of the number and percentage of your decisions in which you issued unpublished opinions and the manner in which those unpublished opinions are filed and/or stored.
Provide citations for opinions you have written which include analysis of federal or state constitutional issues. If any of the opinions listed were not officially reported, you may provide copies of the opinions and submit them to vwaa@live.com.
Provide citations to all cases in which you sat by designation on a federal court of appeals, including a brief summary of any opinions you authored, whether majority, dissenting, or concurring, and any dissenting opinions you joined.
Identify the basis by which you have assessed the necessity or propriety of recusal (If your court employed an "automatic" recusal system by which you may be recused without you knowledge, please include a general description of that system.) Provide a list of any cases, motions or matters that have come before you in which a litigant or party had requested that you recuse yourself due to an asserted conflict of interest or in which you have recused yourself sua sponte. Identify each such case, and for each provide the following information:
1. whether your recusal was requested by a motion or other suggestion by a litigant or a party to the proceeding or by any other person or interest party; or if you recused yourself sua sponte;
2. a brief description of the asserted conflict of interest or other ground for recusal;
3. the procedure you followed in determining whether or not to recuse yourself;
4. your reason for recusing or declining to recuse yourself, including any action taken to remove the real, apparent or asserted conflict of interest or to cure any other ground for recusal.
State the dates and places of any judicial conferences or seminars you have attended during the last three years.
While a judge, have you ever appeared on behalf of, permitted your name to be used for, or contributed to any candidate for public office?

V. OTHER AFFILIATIONS

List all boards, clubs, or organizations to which you belong, including in your response whether any of the organizations to which you belong restricts membership on the basis of age, race or gender, as well as offices held and committee participation:

Community
Bar/Legal
Special Interests

VI. PROFESSIONAL DATA

List all courts in which you are admitted to practice (with dates).
Please summarize your employment history showing the dates of each of your positions including law practice, elected or appointed offices, judicial experience, and business or other non-legal employment. If you would prefer to email an existing resume to vwaa@live.com, please indicate in the field below that it has been emailed and enter "Resume Submitted for VWAA Judicial Candidates Questionnaire" in the subject line of your email.
Please list, with citations, your major publications.
For candidates who have been associated with a law firm in the last five years (if more than one, please answer for the law firm with which you have had the longest association):

What is the size of the law firm?
In the firm, what percentage are:

Women partners? Enter as a %
Women associates? Enter as a %
Minority partners? Enter as a %
Minority associates? Enter as a %

Does the firm actively recruit women and minorities?
Please describe any positions for which you have had a substantial responsibility for hiring, your role in the hiring process, and any efforts you have made to recruit women or minorities for the jobs.

Has a complaint of discrimination on the basis of sex, race, religion, national origin, age, or handicap ever been filed against you or your law firm? If so, please describe the complaint and its resolution.

VII. POSITIONS ON ISSUES

What do you think is the most important issue or problem in the legal field today? Explain your opinion.
What do you think is the most important legal issue or problem relating to women? To minorities? Explain your opinion.
What, if any, barriers do you see to adequate access to the courts for women? For minorities? What recommendations would you make to remove any such barriers?
Are there any legal issues or problems on which you would care to comment?

VIII. ALL CANDIDATES - ADDITIONAL DATA

Are there any actions or suits now threatened against you? If so, please give the details.
Are you now, or have you ever been, a party to a civil proceeding?
Were criminal charges ever instituted against an organization during your affiliation with it as an officer or director? If so, please give details.
Have any grievances ever been filed against you? If so, please state their nature and outcome. Have you ever been disciplined or cited for a breach of ethics or unprofessional conduct by, or are you now the subject of a complaint to, any court, administrative agency, bar association, disciplinary committee, or other professional group? If so, please give the particulars.
Have you ever been investigated by any grand jury or arrested, charged, held, or convicted by federal, state, or other law enforcement authorities for violation of any federal law, state law, county or municipal law, regulation, or ordinance? If so, please give details. Do not include traffic violations for which a fine of $100.00 or less was imposed.
Have you ever been sued by a client? If so, please give particulars.
Outside commitments during Court Service, do you have any plans, commitments, or agreements to pursue outside employment, with or without compensation, during your service with the court? If so, please explain.
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 length of your service.
For candidates who have been members of a legislature: What major legislation was pending during any of your elected terms that significantly affected women? What was your position on that legislation?
Please list names, addresses, and phone numbers of persons whom we can contact to discuss your qualifications. Please include not only associates and colleagues but also, where possible, employees or clients.
Is there any reason or circumstance that would impair your ability to perform judicial tasks?
List any honors, prizes, or other forms of recognition which you have received.
Are there any family members or other persons that have an interest in any organization, financially, through employment, or otherwise, that are likely to present potential conflicts-of-interest if you assume the position to which you have been nominated? If so, explain how you would address any such conflicts if they are to arise. Explain how you will resolve any potential conflict of interest, including the procedure you will follow in determining these areas of concern.
State any other information which you regard as pertinent to the judicial evaluation process.

Today's Date

Signature *

By entering your name you are agreeing that all the information you have entered is true and accurate to the best of your knowledge