Category: From the President

The hot topic of the last few months has been the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in courts and the legal field. I considered asking Chat GPT to write this article, but rest assured that any intelligence you detect in this article is completely mine and authentically human.  

 

Our NASJE colleagues from Ohio conducted a great webinar for members about the opportunities and risks of using AI in judicial education. I also attended several in-person AI sessions at the midyear meeting of the Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA) in San Diego and at the 60^th Anniversary celebration for the National Judicial College in Las Vegas. Our Arizona courts also partnered with the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University on a day-long Arizona Summit on Artificial Intelligence, Law and the Courts.   

While certainly not immune to the hype cycle, I do think AI will both challenge and enhance the field of judicial education. I anticipate our greatest challenge will be the pace of adoption requiring us to adapt quickly – not dissimilar to the challenge our field faced adopting remote delivery at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Shifting from the artificial to more human NASJE endeavors, I thank Bryan Walker from NJC in Nevada and Dan Rettig formerly of the Florida Courts for their service to NASJE while members of our board of directors. Both gentlemen have made profound contributions to our association that will leave a lasting legacy to our field. Thank you!

Our nominating committee, led by immediate Past President Joy Lyngar, prepared a fine list of qualified nominees for the open board positions from which I appointed Nick Schulz (ID) to Western Region Director and David Gordon (NV) to Treasurer-elect as called for by the NASJE constitution and bylaws. Nick and David will join the board at our midyear in-person meeting taking place in Savannah, GA March 21 & 22. I’ll share exciting details from that meeting in my Spring column due out in April 2024.

Let the New Year bring us success in the important work we all do!  

-Jeff Schrade (AZ)

NASJE will turn 50 in 2025, a milestone offering the opportunity for both reflection and preparation. NASJE enters its 49^th year with more members and momentum than any year before. With revisions of our seminal Principles of Judicial Branch Education underway, I decided our bylaws could also benefit form inspection. Here’s what I found:

A phrase from our recent conference has stuck in my mind: “Noble goals.” It was was offered by a participant from the Caribbean who, amidst difficult conversations about restrictions on DEI training, commended us for seeking “noble goals.”  It’s true that after more than two centuries our nation and its people are still seeking a “more perfect union,” but that continuing search, and our profession by extension, is guided by the noble goals central to our founding declaration and body of law. 

I feel that the purpose of NASJE, laid out succinctly and poetically in our bylaws, provides noble goals to guide our profession through the next half-century.  I hope these noble goals also call you to become involved in your association today, the National Association of State Judicial Educators!

Welcome.

A healthy democracy depends upon a strong judicial branch of government. NASJE works to strengthen the third branch by providing education so that judges have the knowledge, skills and abilities they need to do their jobs and maintain the trust and confidence of the people they serve. Our membership is open to anyone who is interested in judicial branch education. I encourage you to explore the resources available on our website and consider joining NASJE as a member. Members have access to a wealth of resources, including publications, podcasts, webinars, networking opportunities, and reduced conference fees.

You might also be interested in supporting NASJE as a sponsor or exhibiting at our upcoming conference.

The next few years will be exciting as NASJE takes stock of its history and plans for its 50th anniversary celebration in 2025. We continue to see the ways in which the pandemic has changed the courts and shaped the delivery of education. Other challenges we face include national workforce trends, inflation, and increased scrutiny on the content of educational programming (such as implicit bias and racial justice). As judicial branch educators navigate these challenges, we find strength in sharing ideas and wisdom across state lines.

This is the membership organization that has professionalized judicial branch education over the past 47 years and raised the standard of quality that all of us have come to expect. This is the membership organization that will lead the way through the challenges we face and fight for a strong judicial branch. I hope you’ll join us.

Hello, NASJE friends and colleagues,

I hope you all are having a good start to the summer! Happy Fourth of July, and a belated Happy Memorial Day and Juneteenth!

As you may have already noticed, registration for the New Orleans conference – “Judicial Education and All That Jazz!” – is now open. The current conference schedule and program, hotel info, and other data is available on the NASJE website’s conference page. This year, we will be able to pay conference fees through NASJE’s secure payment portal online, too. Regular registration has already begun; late registration (+$50) will start on September 1st. Information on scholarships to attend the conference is also available at the same registration link. I am very excited about the conference programming and social events – and of course to be able to see everyone in New Orleans, October 23-26.

Those of us whose memberships are up in the second half of the year will be receiving an invoice for prorated dues for the balance of 2022. As I mentioned last month, NASJE has moved to an organization-wide, annual membership renewal/start date of January 1. We can also pay our dues online via the NASJE payment portal.

As we all are aware, judicial education and NASJE are changing to meet new challenges inside and outside the profession. We are all in this together and need your help shape the direction of the organization. On August 8^th, the Board will be holding a conversation/webinar on the various ways in which members can get onto the pipeline for Board and committee chair positions. Please join us and let’s start this process together. More specifics including the webinar link will be on the NASJE website at the Hub page.

Finally, I have the very great honor of announcing that the Board has selected Judith Anderson (WA) as the 2022 Karen Thorson Award recipient. More information both about the award and Judith will be forthcoming, but we wanted to share this important news early.

As usual, I’ve gone on too long. But please feel free to connect with me via email: brower@law.ucla.edu.

Best,

Todd

Hello, NASJE friends and colleagues, 

It was a real pleasure seeing those of you who were able to attend the annual meeting in New Haven in October. It was a great conference and I thank Janice, Nikiesha, the various committees and speakers, and each of you who made the event the success it was. And I certainly hope that everyone can join us October 23-26, 2022, in New Orleans! 

As many of you know (and the rest know now!), the NASJE Board of Directors meets monthly to guide the overall arc of the organization. At our last meeting immediately following the conference, the Board confirmed the importance of transparency with the membership and wanted to share with our colleagues the highlights of the meeting and the major issues it discussed: 

• The Board and its committees have begun to look carefully at the structure of the organization and its committees, including composition, meeting times, leadership and focus, to see if they meet the needs of the membership as it exists today and to encourage broader participation for the future. 
• The Board is investigating whether planning for the future of NASJE may be better served by an alternative method other than a committee, such as a facilitated, open discussion/convening of the membership. 
• The Board is reviewing current dues and conference fees to explore speaker rates or other changes to facilitate a wide range of presenters and to encourage attendance particularly from people with barriers to participation. 
• The Board has created a Master Calendar accessible to the entire membership which will list the following:
  • Board meeting times 
  • Committee meeting times and access links 
  • Regional meeting times and access links 
  • NASJE events like the launch of the 21-day racial equity challenges discussed by Dr. Eddie Moore at the New Haven conference 
  • Webinars, meet-ups, and other similar events 

A link to this Master Calendar will be made available when it is live. Members wanting to place items on the calendar should email Jessica Foreman, NASJE Secretary

Finally, here is my own email: brower@law.ucla.edu. Please do not hesitate to reach out as we move forward in the year ahead. 

Best, 

Todd 

My Unicorns!

By NASJE President Janice Calvi-Ruimerman

If you were in Denver in 2019 you may have heard me refer to you, my NASJE family, as “my fellow unicorns.”  I say unicorns because, by definition we are unusual, rare, and unique.  While every day we are lone unicorns, whose position is so rare others in our home organizations have a hard time knowing what we actually do. When I look around this organization, I know I am surrounded by UNICORNS ~ some of the most unusual, rare, unique minds I have had the pleasure to work with.  So, after 2 terms as your president I have some “unique” advice for our new President and the 2021-2022 Board of Directors.

Mr. President, here is your presidency.  It is not as large as mine was, but you get the picture. 

Notice that it is clear because first a foremost, everything you do for NASJE must be transparent to the organization and your fellow board members.

Second, comes your responsibility to the membership, each of us is a unicorn, each of us have different needs and wants and expectations of the president and the organization overall.  Make certain you make time for every unicorn, whether it be by answering a call or an email or attend a committee meeting or a program hosted by a member – be present and make room for all who need you.

Third, you will have some Big Rocks to move around, whether it be budgetary hurdles, contracts, national trends or tragedies, you must be responsive to all the rocks.  Even though they remain far less important than the unicorns, you still must make sure you move the rocks and don’t let them overcome the space of the unicorns.

Next, you will have the small stones, the “small stuff”; they look attractive and important, but they matter far less than the rest.  So, you must prioritize because, if you put the stones in first there will be no room for the unicorns and the Big Rocks will fall out.   Remember to never sweat the small stuff.

Take care of the unicorns because they are the ones that really matter and make NASJE what it is – a true leader in defining the practice of judicial branch education.  In other words, a mass of unicorns that have the unique opportunity to herd lions and impact judicial education and change a culture by and through this association.  And finally, and most importantly, remember the BEERS. 

Todd, my friend, my colleague and my NASJE partner, please know that no matter how full your life may seem, or how hard this job may become, there’s always room for a couple of (Root) BEERS with a friend. 

Call me anytime, CHEERS!!!!

This was an adaptation from The Professor and the Mayonnaise Jar

Reflections on the Last 600 Days

By NASJE President Janice Calvi-Ruimerman

It’s been about ½ as long as the Korean War; it’s been about ⅖ as long as the first walk around the world, The Civil War, and World War I; it’s been about ¼ as long as World War II and the construction of the Chunnel; and ⅕ as longs as King Tut’s reign.  So, at the very least, I am no King Tut, but I have been the president of NASJE for just about 600 days now.

As I reflect on this passage of time, I look to each of you as my greatest achievement.  As you know, our organization is a national collaborative of education directors,  managers,  judge and/or employee faculty, conference coordinators, program attorneys, consultants, professors, event planners, distance learning professionals, learning management system administrators, court administrators, communications coordinators, personnel directors, and doctoral candidates.  A proverbial hodgepodge of exceptional leaders whom I am lucky enough to call colleagues and friends.  This diverse and expansive group of individuals shares one common goal: to create and implement the BEST educational opportunities for our stakeholders. Surrounding myself with these incredibly talented people has provided me with the opportunity to shine so much brighter over these last 600 days.  My mantra has always been to find people smarter, more talented and engaging so that they will push me to continuously reflect and grow.  Our 2019-2021 Board of Directors coupled with our amazing members have given me root and encouraged my continuous growth and development. And, I thank you!

So, what have we done over the last 600 days?

To start, our Board of Directors has been committed to improving our membership benefits, creating a more inclusive organization, and ensuring open and accessible access to information and support for our members.  As I reflect on the last 600 days, I can honestly and humbly say that I think we’ve done just that.

• Each committee has been redesigned with a Board liaison so as to ensure access to and timely support for each committee by the Board of Directors.
• During the height of the pandemic, we came together as an organization virtually with the help of our Regional Directors in order to support and stabilize each other during one of the most trying times in government education.
• Sponsorship and Fundraising has been reimaged and incorporated into our website so as to create an open and accessible portal for sponsorship.
• A new extensive website has been created and launched by our Communications Committee to streamline information and provide our membership with a secure place to share ideas, programs, and resources.
• The Fundamentals of our Profession has been re-designed by our Education Committee in order to create both a hybrid and an asynchronous model program while still incorporating nationally recognized Adult Learning Theories.
• We continued to provide just-in-time learning to our membership in terms of NASJE webinars, Zoominars, and Callinars designed to enhance learning and/or discuss a national trend in the courts or educational development.
• Our Futures Committee has worked on a new strategic plan in order to ensure flexibility in the structure of our organization as we change and grow into our “new normal”.
• We memorialized questions posed to the NASJE Listserv in what is now called the “Asked and Answered” section of our website.
• Our Regional Teams came together through virtual programming in order to share resources locally.
• Our Membership and Mentor Committee is launching a new onboarding and mentorship program for new members and an outreach program for membership recruitment.
• A New Professionals Committee was established in order to identify the needs of members new to our profession, so as to keep NASJE fresh and engaging for generations to come.
• The Diversity, Fairness and Access Committee co-hosted and assisted with a nationally recognized program in collaboration with the National Center for State Courts.
• A podcast series will be started soon in order to address current issues, but more importantly to retain institutional knowledge and explore innovative ideas.
• We have continued throughout the pandemic to provide our membership with unique opportunities to network virtually with other judicial educators, meeting planners, and technical gurus from all over the United States and U.S. territories.
• And last, but certainly not least, we postponed the 2020 Conference and re-booked our Annual Conference for October 9-13, 2021 in New Haven, Connecticut.

This year, our NASJE Annual Conference will be held in my home state and I personally invite each of you, your education departments, and your family and friends to attend.  The planning for 2021 has been underway in Connecticut.  And, as a smaller state with demographically centralized access, we expect to be able to offer attendees a true New England experience in the height of leaf peeping in the Fall of 2021.  Due to Covid- 19 and budgetary constraints, we, as a Board, decided to lower the price for conference to $400.00 (approximately $200.00 saved).  For those individuals in your state that are not currently members, first time attendees to our Annual Conference are afforded an annual membership subsequent to their attendance at conference. So, what does this mean for your organization?  By sending your teams to conference and thereby joining NASJE and/or expanding your organization’s membership with NASJE, your education team will have greater opportunities to collaborate on a national level. 

We are all “doing more with less,” but doing it together has created a bridge thereby expanding education across state lines as well as globally.  My goal over the last 600 days has been to create global educational resources.  I believe through NASJE and the changes we have made over the last 600 days, we have done just that.  And, you all are to thank for it.  Together, we created a new culture of inclusivity and globalization in judicial education. I am proud of that and proud of each of your contributions herein. 

I look forward to seeing you in New Haven, Connecticut and celebrating the great work we’ve done and will continue to do together. For you have made the probability of 600 days in office possible.