There is an ongoing dispute in the United States between bar associations, the legal profession and politicians as to how to select judges. Should they be appointed by politicians or boards or elected after going through a political process. None of these choices seems appropriate.
Perhaps the best way to select judges is to do this the way it is done in China and that is through civil service exam. China has a long tradition of civil service examinations going back to Confucius but so does the United States going back to Theodore Roosevelt and in fact some jurisdictions already require an exam for say hearing officers.
Attorneys in China point out that Chinese judges tend to be young and inexperienced while American judges are older and more experienced
The way around this experience obstacle is to place a requirement on those sitting for a judicial exam that they have practice law for five to ten years. Such requirements are already in place in some states and ensure that experienced judges reach the bench and that politics and lack of legal knowledge are kept out of the entire process.