Links of Interest, October 29 – November 2, 2012

Elections and Judicial Performance The Midwest Democracy Network has the rundown on a new poll of American attitudes toward corporate money in politics. For the most part, Americans feel it’s damaging to the democratic process. Feministing ran a story about a group trying to mute the campaign adv...
November 2, 2012

Voting for Judges

For this election ballot voters are faced with a list of nearly 60 judges seeking retention. Only 60% of the votes cast on any judge need be in favor of retention for a judge to keep her seat —no judge has lost office since 1990.  Voters must think critically about the retention election and should...
November 1, 2012

Best Practices for Judicial Evaluations

Recently, the State Journal-Reporter published an article which briefly examined the Illinois State Bar Association’s voter recommendations for judicial retention in the 7th Judicial Circuit, where the State Journal-Reporter publishes. The brief article raises interesting issues about judicial evalu...
October 29, 2012

Does Race or Gender Influence Professional Judgement?

Cross-posted at Huffington Post. Does race or gender influence decision-making among members of the most respected professions? Several recent, high-profile studies conclude that, yes, even scientists, doctors, and judges are vulnerable to such unconscious bias. In a recent, widely discussed study...
October 29, 2012

Links of Interest, October 22-26

Elections and Judicial Performance The Supreme Court upheld a Montana law setting donation limits to candidates for state office. SCOTUS blog has a rundown.   Criminal Justice Liz Watson and Peter Edelman at the Georgetown Center on Poverty, Inequality and Public Policy released a report...
October 26, 2012