The Atlanta Judicial Commission has recently started accepting nominations for the position of Municipal Court Judge for the city’s Municipal Court according to the Daily Report. Members of the bar and members of the public are welcome to submit nominations. To qualify, a nominee needs to be at least 25 years old, a resident of the City of Atlanta for over a year prior to the appointment and admitted to practicing law in the State of Georgia for a minimum of five years.
With regard to applications, the Commission will provide each of the nominees with an application and a letter outlining the necessary schedules and procedures. The list of nominees will be made public and can be requested as such. While the Commission encourages input from organizations or persons familiar with the nominated person’s qualifications and skills, it discourages general endorsement letter-writing campaigns.
However, the appointment of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Commission members sparked a thoughtful response in Michigan. Supreme Court Justice, David F. Viviano, stated, “The commission appears to have taken sides in the political debate roiling institutions across the country. Nothing good will come of this.” It will be interesting to see how this sentiment impacts such appointments on a national scale in the future, as an ongoing dialogue about diversity in the legal field continues.