IAALS Appellate Judicial Performance Evaluation Focus Group Report

As one of our initial steps in developing recommended tools for evaluating the performance of appellate judges, we convened focus groups of judges and attorneys to identify the responsibilities of appellate judges that should be included in a performance evaluation process and the characteristics of a high-quality appellate opinion.

This report summarizes what we learned through these focus groups, which then provided the foundation for developing our model surveys and recommendations for reviewing written opinions.