Judge races don't fit a quiz. Here's what works.
15 LA County Superior Court judge seats are on your ballot — Office Nos. 2, 14, 39, 60, 64, 65, 66, 81, 87, 116, 131, 141, 176, 181, 196. Each race has up to four candidates. Judges decide criminal cases, evictions, family matters, civil disputes. Their decisions affect real people every day.
Why this isn't a quiz: judges don't run on policy platforms. They run on legal qualification, judicial temperament, courtroom experience, and endorsements from people who've watched them work. A "match my views" quiz would force fake distinctions on candidates who shouldn't have political views in the first place. Below are the tools that actually work.
— Dr. Fernando Guerra, Loyola Marymount University, to NBC LA
Check the LA County Bar Association judicial ratings
The single most useful resource. The LACBA's Judicial Elections Evaluation Committee interviews each candidate, conducts peer questionnaires, and rates them from "Exceptionally Well Qualified" down to "Not Qualified." This is exactly the kind of expert evaluation you need.
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LACBA Judicial Elections Evaluation Committee — 2026 Final Report (PDF)Open the PDF, scroll to find each Office Number, and read the rating. Combined with the candidate's current role (the only thing on your ballot), it'll let you make a confident pick in 60 seconds per race.
Verify each candidate is in good standing with the State Bar
Every judicial candidate must be an active California attorney. Search each name in the State Bar's database to confirm they're in good standing and check for any disciplinary record.
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State Bar of California Attorney SearchEnter each candidate's name. If anyone has a past disciplinary action, suspension, or reinstatement, you'll see it. That's a meaningful signal for a judicial race.
Check Ballotpedia for biographies and endorsements
Ballotpedia maintains profiles for most judicial candidates including current employment, prior cases handled, and major endorsements from political and legal organizations.
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Ballotpedia — 2026 LA County Superior Court electionsBrowse each race. Useful when LACBA gave multiple candidates the same rating and you need a tiebreaker. Pay attention to which organizations have endorsed each candidate — that tells you what kind of judge they'd be.
League of Women Voters: "Judging Judges" guide
The non-partisan LWV publishes a guide on what qualities to look for in a strong judicial candidate. Useful framework when you can't decide between two well-qualified candidates.
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LWV LA: Judging Judges (PDF)Background on what makes a good judge — temperament, fairness, integrity. Read once, apply to every race.
The questions that actually matter for judges
- Qualifications. Has this candidate practiced enough law in the area they'd preside over? A criminal-only attorney becoming a civil judge is a real concern. The LACBA rating tells you this.
- Disciplinary record. Any past suspensions, reprimands, or ethical issues with the State Bar? Look it up.
- Endorsement pattern. Is this candidate endorsed only by police unions and DA associations, or only by criminal-defense organizations, or by both sides? Cross-endorsements signal a more balanced judicial temperament.
- Current role. Sitting judges, judicial commissioners, and senior prosecutors usually have the most directly applicable experience. Solo practitioners may be qualified but have less administrative experience.
- Public statements. Have they made statements that suggest a strong political agenda? Judges aren't supposed to. If a candidate runs on "tough on crime" or "social justice reform" rhetoric, that's a signal they may have already decided cases before hearing them.
The 15 races on your ballot
Each office number below is a separate race. Look up each one in the LACBA report (Step 1 above) — that's where you'll find each office's candidates with ratings.