Judge Performance Appraisal Program

Judge James S. Starzynski initiated a performance appraisal program to obtain input from all those persons and entities who find themselves involved in a case or other proceeding assigned to Judge Starzynski in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Mexico. The purpose of this program is to ensure that Judge Starzynski, his office staff and the Clerk's office are discharging their duties and otherwise being as responsive as possible to the needs of parties and others in his cases who come into contact with the bankruptcy court system in this district.

More specifically, we are seeking opinions, observations, complaints and data (anecdotal and otherwise) about the entire bankruptcy court experience in and concerning Judge Starzynski's cases, including but not limited to judicial demeanor; courtroom ambience; treatment of attorneys and other professionals, parties, visitors and others; efficiency of motion calendars and trials; helpfulness of Judge Starzynski's web page; professionalism of staff; responsiveness of staff to inquiries and requests for assistance; timeliness of decisions; and the overall tone of the Court. This also applies to your observations about the Clerk's office and its operations. We want to know what you think we do well and what we need to improve on.

To accomplish this goal, Professor Frederick M. Hart and the University of New Mexico Law School have graciously agreed that Professor Hart will serve as the judicial performance liaison (JPL). Professor Hart has been a member of the Law School faculty and a resident of the State of New Mexico for many years, and served as the dean of the Law School. One of the leading scholars in the United States on, among other things, bankruptcy and commercial law, Professor Hart was one of the editors of Colliers on Bankruptcy (14th Ed.) and one of the authors of a leading treatise on commercial and secured transactions. He is a highly respected teacher and lawyer in the state and the nation. It was for these reasons, and for the additional reason that Professor Hart does not practice before Judge Starzynski, that Judge Starzynski asked Professor Hart to serve as JPL.

This program supplements and does not replace Judge Starzynski's encouragement to anyone to contact him or any of his office staff directly about any of the above subjects (keeping in mind, of course, the prohibition on ex parte contacts in litigated matters), or to contact the Clerk of the Court if the information is to be passed on confidentially. Nor, of course, does this program replace the right of any person to file a complaint with the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. AND IT IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR APPEALING AN ORDER, RULING OR OTHER DECISION THAT YOU MAY NOT BE SATISFIED WITH. Rather, the reason for Professor Hart's participation is to encourage those persons to participate who might not otherwise feel comfortable in passing along information or concerns to Judge Starzynski or any court personnel about how well Judge Starzynski, his staff and the Clerk's office are doing their jobs. If you wish to convey a comment, complaint, etc. on to Judge Starzynski through Professor Hart, and to do it anonymously, Professor Hart will take the steps necessary to "scrub" as much as possible the comments passed on from any information that identifies the source of the comments.

Your candid participation and offering of constructive comments are essential to the success of this program. Professor Hart needs and invites comments, by phone, in person, by email, or any other method of communication. Professor Hart will meet periodically with Judge Starzynski to pass any input on to him. Professor Hart may also contact you to solicit input. Please feel free to communicate with Professor Hart. Neither Judge Starzynski nor anyone on his staff will ever inquire into the identity of the source of any comment; that information will only be disclosed if the source specifically requests or permits the disclosure.

Professor Hart can be contacted as follows:

Professor Frederick M. Hart
University of New Mexico Law School
1117 Standford NE
Albuquerque, NM 87131-1431
505.277.4737