Procedure for Judicial and Public Appointment Candidates Seeking MNAPABA Endorsement

A. Requesting the Endorsement

Please send an email correspondence requesting the endorsement (“Request”). In the email, enclose a copy of the completed judicial application form and any pertinent writing samples to mnapaba@gmail.com and copying the President and President-Elect of MNAPABA. (The email addresses of the President and President-Elect may be requested by emailing mnapaba@gmail.com.)

The MNAPABA Board (“Board”) meets monthly on the second Tuesday of every month. A candidate should submit the Request at least two weeks prior to the date the endorsement is required. (Please note: MNAPABA may consider a Request that is submitted less than two weeks prior to the date the endorsement is required if an explanation is provided.)

Confidentiality: The names and application materials of all candidates shall be kept confidential by the Board. Please note that the Board may contact any person named in the candidate’s application materials as part of the endorsement consideration process. If the candidate does not want the Board 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. The candidate has no input or involvement in selecting a contact person, or the Board members involved in the evaluation of the candidate’s request for endorsement.

The Board will consider the Criteria listed below in its evaluation.

The President or the President's designee will coordinate with the candidate to arrange for an interview by phone or in person, by at least two Board members.

The Board will vote by majority rule as to whether endorse, decline to endorse, or request additional information for the endorsement. The President will communicate any requests by the MNAPABA Judicial Selection Committee or Board for additional information.

Upon approval by the Board, the President or the President’s designee will draft a letter of support for the candidate. The letter of endorsement will be mailed directly to the designated address listed in the application material. A copy of the letter of endorsement will also be provided to the candidate via email or mail to the candidate’s home address.

If the Board declines endorsement of a candidate, the President will inform the candidate of that fact.

The Board will make every effort to complete this process within two weeks. 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 application or to discuss any questions the candidate may have regarding his/her request for endorsement.

C. Criteria

When reviewing a candidate’s request for endorsement, the Judicial Selection Committee and the Board will consider the following:

1. Whether the candidate is a member of a minority attorneys’ organization
   
2. Whether the candidate has demonstrated commitment to the Asian Pacific American (“APA”) community, and/or to any other minority group
   
3. Whether the candidate has ideas on how to improve the judicial process or access to the legal system
   
4. Integrity/character
   
5. Knowledge of the law
   
6. Legal experience (criminal or civil litigation or trials, hearings before administrative or regulatory tribunals, in-house counsel experience, transactional work, academia, legal writing and analysis, mediation, arbitration, negotiation) and professional ability
   
7. Work ethic
   
8. General reputation in the legal community, especially with APA attorneys
   
9. Civic/community affairs
   
10. Commitment to diversity and equal justice
    
11. Temperament/ability to judge
    
12. Intellectual curiosity