Judicial Candidate Ratings

The Women’s Bar Association uses a four-level overall rating system of Outstanding, Highly Qualified, Qualified and Not Recommended.

The rating is based upon a personal interview with the candidate, evaluation of writing samples submitted by the candidate, and a survey of our membership as to their professional experience with the candidate.

As part of the overall rating, judicial candidates are rated Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor in the areas of Judicial Temperament, Legal Reasoning Ability, Experience for the Position Sought and Commitment to Women’s Issues and Community Issues.

At the state level, the Women’s Bar Association has rated judicial candidates for the Court of Appeals and has testified at hearings for proposed United States Supreme Court candidates. On the local level, since its formation in 1983, the Western New York Chapter has been evaluating judicial candidates for Buffalo City Court, Erie County Court, Erie County Family Court, Erie County Surrogate’s Court and New York State Supreme Court.

Spring 2023 Judicial Candidate Ratings

Fall 2022 Judicial Candidate Ratings

Spring 2022 Judicial Candidate Ratings

2021 Judicial Candidate Ratings

2020 Judicial Candidate Ratings

2019 Judicial Candidate Ratings

Spring 2024 Judicial Candidate Ratings

Spring 2024 Judicial Candidate Survey

WBASNY offers our members the unique opportunity to have their voices heard about the candidates running for judicial office. Members are invited to complete the survey for any candidate(s) you feel comfortable rating; you may leave blanks if you feel you do not have enough information to rate a candidate or category.

The candidates we are rating are Hon. Kara A. Buscaglia and Peter P. Vasilion, Esq. for Erie County Family Court; and Erin E. Hart, Esq., Hon. Barbara Johnson-Lee, and Rashied H. McDuffie, Esq. for Buffalo City Court.

Questions? Contact Judiciary Committee Co-Chair Sharon Swift.

If you are a WBASNY WNY Member and you wish to participate, please complete the survey by Friday, May 3.

WBASNY WNY Spring 2024 Judicial Candidate Survey

The Western New York Chapter of the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York is preparing to rate this year’s candidates for the Judiciary.

Confidential Judicial Candidate Questionnaire

If you choose to participate in our ratings process, please return the questionnaire, together with signed consents and three writing samples, to

Sharon A. Swift
WBASNY WNY Judiciary Committee Chair
9315 Roll Road
Clarence Center, New York 14032

Materials must be received on or before Friday, April 19, 2024.  Interviews will take place in the evening on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 and Thursday, May 9, 2024.  Interviews will be scheduled in the order that applications are received.