Twenty-two Iowans have applied with the State Judicial Nominating Commission to fill the vacancy on the Iowa Supreme Court that will occur when Justice Bruce Zager retires September 3, 2018. One of the applicants, according to the Iowa Judicial Branch, is Susan Christensen, District Court Judge, Fourth Judicial District, from Harlan.

The nominating commission will meet Monday, July 9, in the Iowa Supreme Court Courtroom on the fourth floor of the Judicial Branch Building to interview the applicants. The public is invited to observe the interviews in the courtroom. The interviews will also be live streamed and the videos archived on the Iowa Judicial Branch YouTube channel for those unable to observe in person. A schedule of the interviews will be posted at https://www.iowacourts.gov/iowa-courts/supreme-court/judicial-vacancy/ as soon as the schedule is available.

Immediately following the interviews, the commission will begin deliberations to select a slate of three nominees from the group of applicants.  Once the commission selects its slate of nominees, the commission will forward those names to the governor. The governor will then have thirty (30) days in which to appoint the new justice. The commission welcomes written comments from the public about the qualifications of any of the applicants. Comments must be submitted to the secretary of the commission by the conclusion of all of the interviews.