When the list of Board Committees was released, it was noted that there is an ad hoc committee named Judges' Development and chaired by Patti Strand. Some jumped to the conclusion that that the Board was launching into yet another major revamping of the judge approval system. This Committee is charged with the implementation of the judge approval system approved by the Board last year. There are parts of that program which were approved in skeleton form and need fleshing out. For example, the program included the use of mentors.
Much thought has to be put into how mentors can best be used and how to qualify mentors.
Many know that the Menaker Bylaw Revision Committee recommended to the Board that the final approval of judges be delegated to a committee appointed by the Board. The proposal provided that the Board would establish standards for the committee to use and would also provide the staff and staff procedures. This proposal was not accepted by the Board. In an 11 to 1 vote, I fell on the short end. Some have erroneously suggested that the Menaker Committee proposal would have placed the entire judge approval process, staff and all, with an outside committee.