Foreword by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor

"Our country's courts are in danger. Our democratic society depends upon the existence of a qualified and independent Third Branch of government. A healthy, fully functioning judiciary provides the counterbalance to the political branches that is necessary to assure protection of our constitutional rights. But support for judicial independence has faltered, in large part because our education system is failing to impart an understanding of the role and importance of the courts. We must rebuild public support for maintaining and protecting the courts.

This book is an effort to contribute to that project. I applaud its contribution to the general level of knowledge about the courts—for lawyers and non-lawyers alike. And, I commend its observations about developing judicial selection systems that take cash out of the judicial selection process and that provide objective judicial evaluation tools to assure accountability.

We are blessed with many excellent judges and court staff around the country, in both the federal and state systems. But, they and all the rest of us have an obligation to work hard to improve the system so that it is both impartial and accountable and so that it provides just and efficient resolution of cases. It is a duty that falls to all citizens, not just to judges and lawyers. This book should be of interest to individuals committed specifically to the health of the courts, and more broadly to the health of our democratic system."