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Nevada Commission on Judicial Selection
| Judicial nominating commissions |
|---|
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| Individual nominating committees |
| Select a committee in the dropdown below and click "Submit" to view information about that committee. |
| Methods of judicial selection |
| Partisan elections |
| Nonpartisan elections |
| Michigan method |
| Retention elections |
| Assisted appointment |
| Bar-controlled commission |
| Governor-controlled commission |
| Hybrid commission |
| Legislative elections |
| Gubernatorial appointment |
The Nevada Commission on Judicial Selection is responsible for nominating judicial candidates to fill vacancies on the Nevada Supreme Court and district courts in Nevada. The commission was created by Article 6, Section 20 of the Nevada Constitution. The commission fills vacancies which occur mid-term, or when an election is not underway.[1] The commission is composed of seven members: the chief justice of the Nevada Supreme Court, three non‑attorney members appointed by the governor, and three attorney members appointed by the State Bar of Nevada. Two temporary members are appointed in the event of a district court vacancy, one non-attorney by the governor, and an attorney by the State Bar of Nevada.[2]
Nevada uses the nonpartisan election method of judicial selection for its state courts. Judges are chosen through elections where they are listed on the ballot without an indication of their political affiliation.
In the event of a midterm vacancy, the commission solicits and screens applicants. The commission presents a list of three nominees to the governor, who appoints one to fill the vacancy until the next general election. If the predecessor's term is not expiring that election cycle, the appointed judge must win election to the court in order to serve the remainder of the unexpired term.[2]
Members
Last updated: April 2025
The commission is composed of seven members: the chief justice of the Nevada Supreme Court, three non‑attorney members appointed by the governor, and three attorney members appointed by the State Bar of Nevada. Two temporary members are appointed in the event of a district court vacancy, one non-attorney by the governor, and an attorney by the State Bar of Nevada.
The governor and the Bar cannot appoint more than two members of the same political party, and they cannot appoint more than one member from the same county. Regular members are appointed to four-year terms expiring in alternating years and are eligible for reappointment when their term expires.[1]
| Members of the Nevada Commission on Judicial Selection, April 2025 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Appointed by | Term-end date |
| Chair - Douglas Herndon | N/A | January 1, 2027 |
| Donna Bath | Governor | December 31, 2026 |
| Justina A. Caviglia | State Bar of Nevada | December 31, 2026 |
| Andrew Diss | Governor | December 31, 2026 |
| Peter Guzman | Governor | December 31, 2026 |
| Gregory Kamer | State Bar of Nevada | December 31, 2028 |
| Julie Slabaugh | State Bar of Nevada | December 31, 2028 |
Process
On its website, the Nevada Commission on Judicial Selection lays out the steps for filling a judicial vacancy. After a vacancy occurs, the commission "solicits applicants and once applications are received, conducts comprehensive background investigations, and interviews the applicants."[2] The applications include information on educational background, professional experience and conduct, personal conduct, involvement in business and the community, and health. The process is open to the public, who may submit written comments about an applicant's qualifications.
After the commission conducts interviews, the commission holds public deliberations on the qualifications of the applicants. It then votes by secret ballot to select three applicants. The names of these three applicants are sent to the governor, who appoints one of the nominees as the new judge.
The appointed judge will serve until the next general election, when he must be retained. If the judge wins the retention election, he or she will serve a full six-year term or the unexpired term of his predecessor.[2]
Duties
As of April 2025, the Nevada Commission on Judicial Selection website did not list specific duties for members of the commission.
About judicial selection
Each state has a unique set of guidelines governing how they select judges at the state and local level. These methods of selection are:
Election
- Partisan election: Judges are elected by the people, and candidates are listed on the ballot alongside a label designating political party affiliation.
- Nonpartisan election: Judges are elected by the people, and candidates are listed on the ballot without a label designating party affiliation.
- Michigan method: State supreme court justices are selected through nonpartisan elections preceded by either partisan primaries or conventions.
- Retention election: A periodic process whereby voters are asked whether an incumbent judge should remain in office for another term. Judges are not selected for initial terms in office using this election method.
Assisted appointment
- Assisted appointment, also known as merit selection or the Missouri Plan: A nominating commission reviews the qualifications of judicial candidates and submits a list of names to the governor, who appoints a judge from the list.[3] At the state supreme court level, this method is further divided into the following three types:
- Bar-controlled commission: Members of the state Bar Association are responsible for electing a majority of the judicial nominating commission that sends the governor a list of nominees that they must choose from.
- Governor-controlled commission: The governor is responsible for appointing a majority of the judicial nominating commission that sends the governor a list of nominees they must choose from.
- Hybrid commission: The judicial nominating commission has no majority of members chosen by either the governor or the state bar association. These commissions determine membership in a variety of ways, but no institution or organization has a clear majority control.
Direct appointment
- Court appointment: Judges are selected by judges in the state judiciary.
- Gubernatorial appointment: Judges are appointed by the governor. In some cases, approval from the legislative body is required.
- Legislative election: Judges are selected by the state legislature.
- Municipal government selection: Judges are selected by the governing body of their municipality.
See also
External links
Footnotes
Federal courts:
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Nevada • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Nevada
State courts:
Nevada Supreme Court • Nevada Court of Appeals • Nevada District Courts • Nevada Justice Courts • Nevada Municipal Courts • Clark County Family Court, Nevada
State resources:
Courts in Nevada • Nevada judicial elections • Judicial selection in Nevada
