The following is an overview of the Bronx Democratic Party’s (“the Party”) judicial nomination process for selecting nominees to the Civil Court of the City of New York and the Supreme Court of the State of New York.

• All candidates for nomination to Civil Court and Supreme Court must be admitted to the practice of law in New York for ten years before taking office. Furthermore, candidates for nomination to the Civil Court and Supreme Court of New York by the Bronx Democratic Party must be a resident of the County of Bronx. There is no age requirement to become a judge.*

• All candidates must complete an application, available on the Party’s website. This application is due to be submitted on or before January 25, 2024.

• All applications are forwarded to an Independent Judicial Screening Panel (IJSP). The IJSP is a group of lawyers unaffiliated to the Party and is primarily comprised of members from the various NYC Bar Associations.

• The IJSP interviews all candidates who submit a completed application, unless a candidate has been interviewed and deemed “qualified” within the previous three years. In such a case, a candidate need only resubmit their application, but is not required to interview again. This year the interviews will occur on January 27, 2024.

• Following each interview, the IJSP determines if a candidate is “qualified” or “unqualified.” The IJSP’s determination is based on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, a candidate’s character, legal experience, references, and community involvement. The IJSP forwards its determination of each candidate’s fitness to the Party and a representative of the Party will notify each candidate if he or she has been deemed qualified.

• The list of qualified candidates is then forwarded to the Chair of the Party, who will consult with Bronx community leaders and elected representatives, and collaboratively determine which of the qualified candidates are best suited to represent the Party as judicial nominees.

  *There is, however, an age limit. Judges of the Civil Court and Supreme Court may only serve until December 31st of the year in which the judge reaches the age of 70. N.Y. Const. art. 6, § 25(b). Judges of the Supreme Court may serve slightly longer, but in no event longer than December 31st in the year in which he or she reaches age 76. N.Y. Const. art. 6, § 25(b).