All judges running for retention, as well as candidates for Illinois judicial offices who won in the March 20 primary election, have been rated by Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) evaluation committees, or in a poll of lawyers conducted by ISBA. Results were made available today on-line at www.isba.org/YouBeTheJudge.

In Cook County, an ISBA Judicial Evaluations committee used the results of a questionnaire, background investigations, and interviews to rate candidates for all judicial offices. Candidates for the Appellate and Supreme Court outside Cook County were also evaluated using this process.

In counties outside Cook, ISBA conducts an advisory poll of members in the circuit or district from which a candidate seeks election or retention. Licensed lawyers who are not members of ISBA may request a ballot. The poll reflects the opinion of those lawyers who choose to respond, and not the opinion of ISBA.

“Voters often have difficulty learning about the qualifications of candidates for judicial office,” said John E. Thies, of Urbana, president of the 33,000-member organization. “These independent ratings and polls are based on the views of the candidates’ peers, and I encourage voters to consider them when deciding how to vote on November 6.”

The ISBA, with offices in Springfield and Chicago, provides professional services to Illinois lawyers, and education and services to the public.