The commission is comprised of three members:

• California Chief Justice (Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye)
• California Attorney General (Attorney General Kamala Harris)
• Senior Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal of the affected district. When a Supreme Court appointee is being considered, the third member of the commission is the state's senior presiding justice of the Courts of Appeal

Any candidate nominated or appointed by the Governor to the Supreme Court or a Court of Appeal must be reviewed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments. The commission holds a public hearing to consider the candidate’s qualifications, and the nomination or appointment is effective if and when confirmed by the commission. When a Court of Appeal candidate is being reviewed, the commission consists of the Chief Justice of California, the Attorney General of California, and the Senior Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal of the affected district. When a Supreme Court candidate is being reviewed, the third member of the commission is the Presiding Justice who has presided longest on any Court of Appeal.

Guidelines for the Commission on Judicial Appointments (PDF, 22 KB)
(Adopted effective May 18, 1999; amended effective July 1, 2005, March 1, 2006, and November 19, 2007.)