These are the Specialty and Sweepstakes Judge Selection Processes recommended by the National Specialty Steering Committee and approved by the board this year.

The selection of the National Specialty Judge is a two-part process.

PART ONE: The National Specialty Steering Committee will send out a ballot listing all AKC licensed Japanese Chin Judges in alphabetical order as listed in the most current AKC "Dog Show and Obedience Trial Judges" directory. JCCA members will select not more than ten names, which they would like to be considered to judge the appropriate national specialty. (Judges may not have judged a JCCA Specialty within the past five years.) This ballot will be sent out in the JCCA's official publication Chin Chit Chat (CCC) or U.S. mail.

PART TWO: The fifteen (15) judges receiving the most votes are then named on a second ballot in alphabetical order and sent to the membership This ballot will be sent out in the CCC or via U.S. mail. On this ballot, the members will vote for only one person.

The Steering Committee will set up the list of names of the top 10 vote getters from the second ballot in order of votes received. This is the list the Steering Committee and/or the show chairperson will utilize. The Steering Committee and/or show chairperson can choose from this list of 10 beginning with the top vote getter. The only exceptions to this are the following:

1. Judge is not available for a particular specialty.
2. Their fees and expenses do not meet the Board's approval.

If either of the above factors are not satisfactory, the Steering Committee and/or the show chairperson will contact the judge receiving the next highest vote and so forth until they reach the end of the list of 10.

If no appropriate judge can be selected from this list of 10, the Steering Committee and/or the show chairperson should then move to the remaining five. If no appropriate judge can be selected from the remaining five, the Steering Committee and/or the show chairperson must contact the Board for approval to substitute a judge.

The judge selection process should be updated every two to three years.

National Specialty sweepstakes judges are to be voted on by the membership.

1. Eligible to judge JCCA National Specialty Sweepstakes one must be in good standing with JCCA and AKC.
2. Sweepstakes judge candidate must meet the following requirements:
   1. In the breed at least five (5) years.
   2. Bred at least five (5) champions.
3. Or any judge working towards his/her license in the Japanese Chin breed.
4. Nominations will be accepted from other members or by self-nomination. Candidates' names should be submitted to the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee will add their name to the list of eligible sweepstakes judge candidates and will send out a vote to the membership. Using the same process as for our National Specialty selection of judges.