The District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission (the “Commission”) is pleased to announce a free forum titled “So, You Want to be a Judge on the District of Columbia Courts: Everything You Need to Know” to be held on April 17, 2015 from 2:15 pm to 3:45 pm at the 2015 District of Columbia Judicial and Bar Conference. During the spring in alternating years, the District of Columbia Courts and the District of Columbia Bar collaborate to present a joint conference. This year, the event, to be held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, located at 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, brings together judges, DC Bar leadership, and members of the legal community to discuss timely issues facing the profession. The Commission has been invited to conduct a panel discussion.

The public forum is designed to provide information and answer questions related to the process of applying for and becoming an associate or magistrate judge in the District of Columbia. The forum presents a rare opportunity to meet and hear from representatives from all stages of the process, including the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission, the White House Counsel’s Office, the United States Senate, the Committee on the Selection and Tenure of Magistrate Judges and the Magistrate Judge Advisory Merit Selection Panel.

The panel will discuss qualifications for judicial office, the application process, and, for associate judges, the nomination and confirmation process. The forum will include a question and answer session. All those interested or potentially interested in aspiring to the bench or seeking insight into the selection of judicial officers in the District of Columbia are encouraged to attend. Register for this free forum.

The forum’s panel includes:

• Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan, United States District Judge, US District Court for the District of Columbia, and Chair, District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission;
• Honorable Russell F. Canan, Associate Judge, Superior Court of the District of Columbia, and Chair, Committee on the Selection and Tenure of Magistrate Judges;
• Holly A. Idelson, Senior Counsel, United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs;
• Christopher D. Kang, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Counsel to the President, Office of the White House Counsel;
• Natalie O. Ludaway, Member, District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission;
• Woody N. Peterson, Member, District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission;

The panel will be moderated by Addy R. Schmitt, Counsel, Miller & Chevalier Chartered and Chair, Superior Court of the District of Columbia Magistrate Judge Advisory Merit Selection Panel.

Questions concerning the Commission or the public forum may be directed to the Commission’s interim Executive Director at (202) 879-0478 or [email protected].