NORTH SALT LAKE—City Councilmember Lisa Watts Baskin was appointed by Gov. Spencer J. Cox last month to the Utah Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission (JPEC), an independent state commission that evaluates the performance of judges for voters. Baskin has practiced law in Utah since 1988.

“It’s a 13 member commission and only a certain number can be an attorney,” said Baskin. “I clerked for Utah Supreme Court’s Associate Chief Justice Richard C. Howe and later served as Associate General Counsel to the Utah Legislature’s judiciary Committee and my practice was litigation. I think that played into why I was selected. It’s an honor to serve. The judiciary is remarkably outstanding.”

Baskin is a BYU Law School graduate. She is the Administrative Law Judge with the Utah Office of Inspector General, formerly the ALJ with Utah Insurance Department, and most recently, a Hearing Officer with DABS. At Smith Hartvigsen PLLC, she is the city attorney to various cities and was recognized in June 2024 as one of 100 Utah Legal Elite in Administration and Government. 

JPEC determines whether a judge meets all of the performance standards. “That comes from surveys, public comments, court observers and other criteria,” Baskin said. “They have to have a minimum passing score. New judges are reviewed three years in and have a retention evaluation at five years.”

Fortunately in Utah judges are appointed, she said. “They’re not elected and must go through a rigorous process and be ratified by the Senate or City Council for justice court judges. They have to go through various levels to become a judge.”

Judges must be neutral, Baskin said. “They need to have the right temperament as opposed to someone who is campaigning and elected as a judge.”

Any appointed judge has been selected by a much higher standard than an elected official, she said. “An elected judge might not be the best judge, they're just the winner. If money is redirected to a judge they could be compromised with that kind of money. The winner is not necessarily the most qualified.”

Voters can access the evaluation results to get a better understanding of whether a judge should be retained or not, said Baskin. “This process provides the voter with much more information.”

Being a judge is a very difficult job, she said. “It takes patience and a willingness to listen. They have to make sure litigants feel heard and are heard. Some get very little recognition. That’s why we need competent, capable judges.”

See a previous article about JPEC in the Sept. 20 edition of The City Journals.