Law Tech: New Website Proposes to Judge Washington Judges.

This month, I have received several e-mail invitations from North Law Publishers, Inc. to help build a "database" for a website called "The Robing Room: Where Judges Are Judged". The declared purpose of the site is to provide ratings of judges presiding in the courts of Washington State. North Law Publishers describes itself as an "up-and-coming, New York City-based legal publisher. Formed and launched by attorneys, to produce and market products for attorneys, the company is attuned to the growing needs of the legal community, as well as the ever-evolving trends in legal practice."

North Law's effort reminds me of the Minneapolis Star Tribune when it used to run an annual column ranking local judges by comparing available statistics on the number of cases handled and resolved by each judge in a given year. I don't think that many of the trial court judges in Minnesota enjoyed the reporting or the method of evaluation. North Law Publishers, Inc., however, apparently seeks to base ratings of judicial performance solely upon opinions it obtains from practicing lawyers. In reply to my e-mail inquiry, Nicholas Kaiser of North Law informed me that the company began with the federal court system and to date has sites in about "half of the states". It will be interesting to see how North Law's site is received in Washington.