The Appellate Court Nominating Commission screens judge candidates who want to serve on the Utah Court of Appeals and Utah Supreme Court.

Gov. John Huntsman said his picks for the commission represented "diverse political affiliations and professional expertise."

Attorney Von Keetch, a shareholder in the Salt Lake City law firm of Kirton & McConkie, will head the eight-member commission. Keetch specializes in constitutional and religious law and counts The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints among his clients.

Other members of the commission, which serves a four-year term:

* Josh Reid, a Democrat and an attorney at Parsons Behle & Latimer, where he practices environmental law.

* Mona Given, a St. George Republican who served eight years on the City Council and is a past member of the Board of Directors of the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce.

l David Bradford, a Republican, a former senior vice president and general counsel of Novell Inc. and current chairman of the advisory board for Wasatch Ventures.

* John Adams, a Republican and a shareholder at Ray, Quinney & Nebeker, who works in commercial and business litigation and is a past president of the Utah Bar Association.

l Jody Burnett, a Democrat and president of the board of trustees of Utah Legal Services and a shareholder at Williams & Hunt, where he represents municipalities and counties in land use planning, zoning and related claims.

l Jani Iwamoto, a Democrat and an activist in Utah's Japanese community who practiced law in the San Francisco Bay Area and was a shareholder with a consumer advocacy firm.

State law makes Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice Christine M. Durham the eighth member of the commission.

The group's first task will be to select a replacement for Utah Court of Appeals Judge Norman H. Jackson, who is retiring in August.

The commission selects finalists whose names are forwarded on to the governor for his appointment. The appointee must be confirmed into office by a vote of the state Senate.