By Aubrie Hicks & Colin Mieling
Since 1948, the King County Bar Association’s Judicial Candidate Evaluation Committee (JCEC) has performed the important public function of rating judicial candidates. This work continues to be performed by a dedicated contingent of volunteer lawyers and, at times, non-lawyer members who regularly come together to evaluate candidates in accordance with the JCEC’s Rules and Procedures (Rules). In 2024 and 2025, the JCEC evaluated thirty candidates seeking a rating for positions on the Seattle Municipal Court, King County District Court, King County Superior Court, or Washington State Supreme Court
The Committee cannot perform its work without the continued commitment of its volunteer members. If you have any interest in serving on the Committee or learning more about its operations, please contact co-chairs Aubrie Hicks (aubrie@dobsonhicks.com) and Colin Mieling (mieling@sgb-law.com) or KCBA’s Member Services Associate Tom Lockyear at toml@kcba.org.
From time to time, the JCEC re-evaluates its Rules to ensure they are clear and consistent with the beneficial purpose of the JCEC which is to “improve the judiciary in King County and certain appellate courts by rating Candidates on the basis of merit and, in the case of elections, to make public the ratings regarding the Candidates so that the public may be better informed.”1 The most recent revision to the Rules was from October 16, 2019. The operations of the Committee over the past few years—particularly through the Covid-19 pandemic—made clear it was time for the Committee’s Rules to be revisited.
On December 17, 2025, the KCBA Board of Trustees adopted a revised set of Rules and Procedures for the JCEC. The updated Rules are now available on the KCBA website.2 A comprehensive discussion of all the updates to the Rules is beyond the scope of this article but a few updates are worth highlighting.
- Remote Proceedings: Rules 1.5 and 9.3.2 were amended to allow for the continued use of remote proceedings and to reflect the Committee’s operations since 2020.3
- Committee Responsibilities: Under revised Rule 4, the Committee is charged with rating Candidates seeking judicial positions by election or appointment who request a rating for the Seattle Municipal Court, King County District Court, King County Superior Court, Division I of the Court of Appeals, and the Washington State Supreme Court.4 The prior iteration of the Rule only allowed the Committee to rate candidates seeking a position on Division I of the Court of Appeals and the Washington State Supreme Court who did so in the context of a contested election.
- Rating Criteria: Rule 9.2.2, the description of the “Well Qualified,” rating was slightly amended to clarify the standards for the “Well Qualified” rating.5
- Consideration of Non-KCBA Judicial Evaluation Surveys: Rule 9.3.6 was amended to make clear that the JCEC may consider judicial evaluation surveys of other organizations engaged in the rating of Candidates within the jurisdiction of the Committee.6
- Reconsideration of Ratings: The process under which a Candidate may seek a reconsideration of the Committee’s rating has been clarified in the new Rule 9.3.12.7
Individuals considering seeking a rating from the JCEC are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with the JCEC’s updated Rules before seeking a rating from the Committee. Any questions about the updated Rules should be directed to the Co-Chairs.
Aubrie Hicks is the Principal Attorney at Dobson Hicks PLLC in Seattle, WA. Colin Mieling is an attorney at Schroeter Goldmark & Bender in Seattle, WA. Former JCEC co-chair, Heather Barker, was also instrumental in helping to help re-draft the Committee’s rules and procedures.
1 King County Bar Association Judicial Candidate Evaluation Committee Rules and Procedures 3.1.
2 https://www.kcba.org/?pg=Judicial-Candidate-Evaluation-Ratings.
3 Rule 1.5; Rule 9.3.2.
4 Rule 4
5 Rule 9.2.2.
6 Rule 9.3.6.
7 Rule 9.3.12.
