(KIWA Staff Photo)Iowa (RI) — The Iowa State Bar Association has released its 2026 judicial performance review to help voters evaluate judges who will appear on the November ballot.
Attorney Guy Cook, who oversees the review process, says attorneys who regularly appear before judges evaluate them based on their courtroom observations and firsthand experience.
Cook says the review provides anonymous ratings and comments from attorneys who have worked with both trial court and appellate judges.
Cook says retention elections took the place of outright votes on judges more than 50 years ago.
The goal, Cook says, is to determine whether judges continue to meet professional standards.
Cook says this year’s survey shows that Iowa judges are doing their job.
Cook contrasted Iowa’s system with states that elect judges through traditional campaigns.
The Iowa State Bar Association has conducted biannual judicial performance reviews every two years since Iowa amended its constitution in 1962. The full review is available at iowabar.org.
