The informed voters project.

• Author: Leali, Linda

In recent years and throughout the United States, there has been a significant increase in money being funneled into judicial elections in an effort to target judges whose rulings are unpopular, regardless of whether the decisions are reasoned applications of the law. The fairness and impartiality of our courts is threatened by these powerful special interests who are seeking to tip the scales of justice in their favor. The success or failure of special interest efforts to weaken the courts rests on their ability to mislead voters, particularly if voters lack sufficient knowledge about how impartial courts uphold the rule of law.

The Informed Voters Project (IVP) was founded in 2014 by the National Association of Women Judges in a nationwide effort to educate citizens about the role of the judiciary in our democracy. IVP's primary mission is to educate voters in a nonpartisan manner about how judges are selected, how an average person can obtain information about a judicial candidate, and the role of the judiciary as the third but equal branch of government. In Florida, IVP is co-chaired by Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara Pariente and myself.

Public Service Announcement

To help carry out its mission, IVP created a public service announcement that was funded by The Florida Bar titled, "Fair and Free," narrated by retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and written by Jonathan Shapiro (Boston Legal). This public service announcement won a regional Emmy award in 2014 and currently plays in jury rooms in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties. The announcement is available for broadcasting in English, Spanish, and Mandarin, and is also closed-captioned for the hearing impaired.

Voluntary Bar and Community Organization Affiliates

In Florida, IVP works to accomplish this mission through the assistance of many Florida bar members and strong partnerships with voluntary bar associations. Among these project partners in Florida are the Florida Association for Women Lawyers along with its various chapters throughout the state of Florida, the Constitutional Judiciary Committee of The Florida Bar, and NAWJ. The organizations encourage members of The Florida Bar and voluntary bar organizations to become involved as either educators regarding our courts or project partners whose organizations would like to assist in preserving and protecting the impartiality of our courts. We have multiple turn-key presentations that are available for...