Judicial Independence and the Public Good
Americans are generally familiar with the role courts play in protecting the public’s rights and resolving disputes with integrity. In recent years, state judges have been confronted by recalls and other challenges at the ballot box as well as political attacks that some observers believe could create a chilling effect on justice. What is the impact of elections on judicial independence? Do elections threaten justice, or are they a means by which to preserve it? How responsive to the electorate should judges be? What is the impact of judicial elections and retention elections on judicial independence? What is the proper relationship of politics and the judiciary? Join us in an important discussion with high-level panelists who have studied—and experienced—these issues.
In partnership with the California Judges Association, Judicial Fairness Coalition, the Litigation Section of the Bar Association of San Francisco, Bench Bar Committee and the San Francisco Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates
The Commonwealth Club
110 The Embarcadero
Taube Family Auditorium
San Francisco, 94105
United States
Dean Erwin Chemerinsky
University of California at Berkeley School of Law
Maura Dolan
Legal Affairs Reporter, Los Angeles Times
Judge Curtis Karnow
Superior Court of California
Retired California Superior Court Judge LaDoris Cordell
—Moderator
