Serve on a Commission
Serve on a Judicial Nominating Commission
Judicial nominating commissions are comprised of lawyers and nonlawyers who may be appointed by the governor or elected by the members of the Iowa bar. The commissions are responsible for nominating the most qualified judicial candidates to the governor or appropriate appointing authority.
Governor-Appointed Members
If you are interested in serving on the state or a district judicial nominating commission, the link below will take you to the governor’s website. The first page of the site explains the process for selecting commission members. The “View Entire Boards List” link provides an alphabetical list of all the state boards and commissions. Under the letter “J” link, you can find the state nominating commission and the 14 district nominating commissions.
Lawyer-Elected Members
Any eligible voter in Iowa may seek election to the commission by lawyers who are licensed by the Iowa Supreme Court to practice law in Iowa (members of the bar). At least 60 days before the end of the term of an elective state or district judicial nominating commissioner, the state court administrator provides notice of the current or upcoming vacancy on the judicial branch website, in a news release, and by electronically notifying members of the bar. The notification includes the procedure for filing nominating petitions, including the last date for filing, and the election process.
To have a name printed on a ballot for the state judicial nominating commission, the nominating petition must be signed by at least 10 resident Iowa voters of the congressional district and filed in the office of the state court administrator at least 30 days prior to vacancy. To have a name printed on a ballot for a district judicial nominating commission, the nominating petition must be signed by at least 10 resident Iowa voters of the judicial district and filed in the office of the state court administrator at least 30 days prior to vacancy.
The resident members of the bar of each congressional district elect commissioners to the state judicial nominating commission for a six–year term. The resident members of the bar of each judicial election district elect commissioners of the district to the district judicial nominating commission. Each congressional district elects one male and one female commissioner to the state judicial nominating commission. Each judicial election district elects two male commissioners, two female commissioners, and one commissioner who alternates between genders every six years to the to the district judicial nominating commissions.