UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT
FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF GEORGIA
SURVEY FOR BANKRUPTCY JUDGE JAMES P. SMITH

Chief Judge James P. Smith of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Georgia asked the Federal Judicial Center (FJC) to survey members of the Bar to assess his level of performance. The judge’s decision to ask the FJC to conduct this survey is entirely voluntary and is part of Judge Smith's ongoing commitment to provide the highest level of public service possible. The FJC, which is the research and education organization for the federal courts, is located in Washington, D.C. The FJC has been conducting similar surveys for judges for several years.

During the week of October 19, 2015, the FJC will send an email to each attorney who has had five or more cases or proceedings assigned to Judge Smith during approximately the past three years. The email will explain how to access and complete an online questionnaire.

Research staff at the FJC will compile and analyze completed questionnaires, and will provide Judge Smith a report, including a statistical summary and a compilation of the comments that are received. FJC staff will not provide the judge with the identity of the people who responded, if that information becomes known to them. The results are exclusively for Judge Smith’s use in improving his performance; they will not be provided to anyone other than the judge and they will not be used in the reappointment process.

If you do not receive an email from the FJC and want to participate, please contact Beth Wiggins of the FJC by phone at 202-215-2861 or by email at [email protected].

If you have questions about the survey or encounter any technical difficulties, please also contact Ms. Wiggins. If you would prefer to complete a paper version of the questionnaire, she can provide you with a copy and instructions for returning it to the FJC.