No-show candidates deserve 'no' votes: bar leaders

By John Flynn Rooney
Law Bulletin staff writer
Published March 16, 2006
Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, Volume: 152, Issue: 52

Voters should not cast ballots in the upcoming primary election for judicial candidates who ducked scrutiny by various bar groups, bar representatives said Thursday.

There are 83 candidates running for two 1st District Appellate Court seats, six countywide Cook County Circuit Court seats, and 15 subcircuit seats in Tuesday's elections.

The Alliance of Bar Groups for Judicial Screening, comprising 10 bar groups, the Chicago Bar Association and other bar organizations have issued ratings of candidates in those races.

A total of 26 candidates — representing 31 percent — failed to appear before the CBA's Judicial Evaluation Committee. The Alliance fared slightly better, with 17 of the candidates failing to appear, representing 20 percent.

''It's a problem we acknowledge and which we will continue to seek to remedy by speaking out to the public about candidates who for whatever reason feel their merits should not be considered by their fellow attorneys,'' CBA President Michael B. Hyman said Thursday.

''Personally, any candidate who fails to come before the bar association should not be considered for judicial office,'' Hyman added in a telephone interview. ''You have [to wonder] what they are afraid of.''

Carrie K. Huff, president of the Chicago Council of Lawyers, another Alliance member, said Thursday, ''The fact that the candidate has not been willing to submit himself or herself to the bar review process should be a huge red flag for voters.''

The practice of candidates being no-shows for bar evaluations is not a new phenomenon.

Edward J. Lechowicz, a candidate in the three-way Democratic primary for the James J. Jorzak vacancy in the 6th subcircuit, failed to submit to screening before the Alliance members and CBA.

Lechowicz, a lawyer for nine years, said some of the questions asked of the candidates by bar groups are unreasonable, as is a CBA provision that a candidate have at least 12 years of experience to receive a favorable rating.

Hyman noted that the 12-years rule includes an exception, which the CBA has used in giving some candidates with less experience a positive rating.

''If [Lechowicz] thinks he's so qualified, he should have come before us,'' Hyman said. ''There is no reason why anyone should refuse'' to appear before bar groups.

Zeophus J. Williams, a co-chair of the Alliance's Executive Committee, noted Thursday that in the 2d subcircuit's ''A'' vacancy, only one of the five candidates presented his credentials to the Alliance and CBA. That candidate is Associate Judge Michael W. Stuttley, who received across-the-board favorable ratings from the groups.

''It would be great for the Alliance and the CBA if [Stuttley] was the successful candidate in that race,'' said Williams, who also is vice chair of the Black Women Lawyers' Association of Greater Chicago's Judicial Evaluation Committee.

Copyright © 2006, Law Bulletin Publishing Company.