Category: From the President

By NASJE President Janice Calvi-Ruimerman

As I reflect upon the past and present years in my role as NASJE’s President, I think of the adage, “we may all be in the same storm, but we do not all have the same boat.” This may be a novel concept for some, but for us it’s very much how we weather the storms we face daily. Some navigate ocean liners or captain luxury yachts; others row boats or paddle life rafts, while a few of us make dangerous passage in a leaky “Father’s Day,” but despite our differences we somehow all manage to navigate perilous waters. Just when blue skies and smooth sailing seemed to be in our future, COVID-19 created the perfect storm and challenged our navigational skills. Over the last 10 months, I have marveled at the many examples of our tenacity, creativity and perseverance that protected us from the same fate as that of the Andrea Gail. In fact, I found that the events of last year highlighted our unique abilities to change course and navigate uncharted waters absent any guidance or foresight, and frankly, we shined.

When our NASJE voyage plan for 2019 was interrupted by, let’s just say, an INTERNATIONAL PANDEMIC, we did not abandon ship. No, we hunkered down, reassessed and adjusted our sails. Unbeknownst to us, we literally passage planned. As individuals within our respective organizations and in unison as members of NASJE, we appraised our plight, planned our next steps, executed new strategies, and we continue to monitor the “new normal.”

We began our trek with a series of calls to discuss the impact of COVID-19 and strategies for keeping afloat. Beyond sharing our respective state’s plans for navigating the storm, we discussed our “boats,” our navigational tools and resources, and our growing need for assistance and/or support. Proverbially, we heard, “I need an oar… does anyone have an extra oar?” “I have 7 lifejackets but only require 5, is someone in need of one?” Not quite, but more like, “Is anyone pre-benching remotely and if so, how?” “Who has mandatory education online?” Specifically, how do you “deliver training and education during a pandemic?” What are some “tips for engaging a virtual audience?” How do you communicate effectively on a web cam? Zoom, WebEx, Microsoft Teams – who is using what and why? And to further assist, our national partners sailed in with open and accessible opportunities to facilitate our journey such as, ICM courses available online and the National Judicial College’s, on demand, New Judge Orientation. We postponed our Annual Conference from 2020 to 2021 and in the interim, hosted regional webinars on such topics as “Experiential Learning.” Additionally, our New Professionals Committee hosted a series of “Coffee Talks” and a virtual “New Member Orientation.” That’s not all; our Education and Future’s Committees are collaborating to plan and deliver an “Online Learning Symposium” in the next few months, with the initial session entitled, The August Wilson Red Door Evolve webinar, being delivered by the National Center for State Courts. So, while we are all weathering the same storm, but with boats of a different capacity, we, as members of NASJE, have at our disposal a huge fleet ready, willing, and able to assist as needed.

As we navigate these uncharted waters, recognize that you are not alone on these stormy seas, and take solace in the fact that each of you and your herd of fellow UNICORNS have now learned to sail head on into this storm. You, my friends, are sailing!

Thank you for being you, and for the privilege of allowing me to call you, friends, colleagues, teammates, fellow-unicorns, and of late, my seaworthy crewmates!

By NASJE President Janice Calvi-Ruimerman

With change comes new growth

As I entered my office today, having been telecommuting since March 13, 2020, I fully expected to find my office plants yearning for water and on the brink of decay, if not fully returned to the dirt in which they rested. What I saw, however, astonished me! On my conference table sat the Poinsettia plant that I purchased from my daughter’s school fundraiser 3 years ago, which seems to be thriving. Now, for those of you on the Southern side of the world this may not seem like a big deal, but for those of us in the East and North Poinsettias are not our average, year-round blooming house plant. And, to have one re-bloom multiple times in a climate that can reach below zero is truly a miraculous feat. So, you can imagine my disbelief when after 4 months of working remotely, I walked into my office to not only find that my plant is still alive, but more importantly, has new growth.

Alongside my Poinsettia sat a large box labeled Education Unit. As we contemplate our “new normal” our Education Unit supplies now include PPE, such as non-latex gloves, disposable masks, and of course, CLOROX. For many, this reality is overwhelming and stressful to say the least. Change, however small or large, is unsettling especially when it is imposed upon us by the likes of a pandemic. Our loss of control over our environment, our physical and personal wellbeing, our jobs, our daily activities is debilitated by change, even to a pro-change addict like me. And, as displayed by my Poinsettia, with change, even imposed change, comes growth … new growth in fact!

Over the last few months, I have experienced an inspiring ease and fluidity of mass collaboration amongst our NASJE colleagues. Immediately, we came together to share development standards and to provide one another with accessible curricula, thereby eliminating borders and creating a global network of support. We, without hesitation, banded together and continued the conversation over injustices facing our nation, our colleagues, and our friends. Again, I am amazed at our “new growth,” our continued development in a climate that may seem unresponsive. In plants, the rooting depth controls opportunity for growth. So too, NASJE, like my Poinsettia, has deepened roots and structure to weather, GROW, and further endure. So, notwithstanding the current physical and emotional strain on each of us, we continue to grow and thrive. I have never been so proud to be a part of any organization! You all inspire me to continue to grow, bloom, and be better. I challenge each of you to root deep and to grow stronger!

It has been just about 50 days of the new “normal”!

So, what has changed … I now know the precise interval for each news cast in order to move between Lester Holt and Norah O’Donnell to gather the “facts” … I know that there is no actual way to predict New England weather… I MUST suit up to buy groceries … I find it interesting to see how people are creating masks to match personality and mood while ensuring safety … it takes me exactly 1 hour to “Clorox” my groceries and put them all away … I’ve read 6 books that have rested on my shelves collecting dust and binge watched 4 series on NETFLIX … 2 free audiobook downloads fill my ears and push me to walk further just to get to the next chapter…. I love to go walking, walking, and walking some more … FaceTime happy hours are fun and the bar tab is pretty low … virtual birthday parties exist, turning 14 and 13 in 2020 is tough  … I really love hiking in the woods … I actually know who The Tiger King is and still wondering daily, Did Carole Baskin really do it? … I kind of like Tik Tok, but please don’t tell my daughters … I can wear leggings and have my hair in a pony-tail every single day absent repute … I love to make breakfast and dinner daily, lunch is a free-for-all … we own 5 different kinds of Monopoly … google classroom beginning at 7:30 a.m. can engage a teen for ½ a day … and finally, I welcome new technologies, Zoom – Web Ex – Go To Meeting – LMS meeting – Microsoft Teams, which one are we using today?

This my friends is our Break Shot!

(Taken from my latest audio biography by my absolute favorite artist, James Taylor).

Now, what we do after the balls scatter from the break is our choice.

I choose to seek knowledge, enjoy the simple things before me, be creative with my time, my family and my friends, collaborate through my work, learn new technology, talk to people more, read as much as I can, exercise a lot, eat healthier, listen to music, and breathe…really BREATHE!

I am amazed, unsurprisingly, by my NASJE colleagues during this time. As I have said in the past, we are Unicorns but are joined in a herd so strong that even a pandemic could not falter our charge. We came together immediately to assess the BREAK and decide our next shot.  Successfully, we moved the 2020 conference to 2021.  Unified, we opened synchronous and asynchronous curricula across state lines sharing nationally and internationally. Collaboratively, we came together to create COVID-19 solutions and continue to join forces to restructure our respective new “normals”.  You all inspire me and I welcome the opportunity to continue as your president along with your Board of Directors through the next year.  Sending each of you virtual hugs, until we meet in person at our NASJE 2021 Annual Conference, in New Haven, Connecticut, August 8 -11.

Please stay safe, stay well, stay creative, and continue to engage and share.

The slate is ours, aim and go for the shot!

Creating a Unified Vision

By NASJE President Janice Calvi-Ruimerman

My space is not my own.  Articles that speak to me are kept close to remind me of my vision and my professional focus.  My desk, seemingly large, has become ever so crowded by these professional reminders of what, I feel, are important or timely.  On the plus side, these items prompt me daily to stay the course.  In 2009, I came across an article about education and visioning for the future of the Courts; this has been my Codex ever since. As so pointedly stated in the article, Courts as a Learning Organization: Towards a Unifying Vision, “A learning organization is intended to be a catalyst for continual change.”  That became my vision, my proposed unified vision.  

In 2015, Connecticut began its journey through the second phase of our Strategic Plan, focusing on our “greatest assets”: our colleagues.  With this opportunity came the hope for the continued development of a true learning organization.  Turning to the highlighted, worn, tattered article, I asked myself, what will sustain us for the future and unify our vision for ourselves and the Court overall?  It’s a unified vision for a true learning organization.

In 2009, Pat Murrell, Gary Schneider and Philip Gould knew that based on the Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge, “a learning organization is one that is continually expanding its capacity to create its future.:  Additionally, the National Center for State Courts’ Institute for Court Management defined a learning organization as an “organization in which individuals continually expand their capacity, where people learn to learn together, where knowledge is managed and shared, where innovative and expanded patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is valued, where everyone participates in the organization’s continued evolution.”  This is what I want for us all.

According to Murrell, Schneider and Gould, “building a shared vision, striving for commonality of purpose that fosters initiative and community, and team learning to generate communal development, are among the core elements of a learning organization.” I know that we all have been crippled by budgetary constraints, staff reduction due to attrition, retirements and “hard hiring freezes.”   I also know that each of us has been asked to “do more and more with less” but expected to deliver the same quality of services as in times when we were fully staffed.  It is, however, also true that we can learn to “work smarter, not harder,” and be more resourceful with what we have – the key is education.  In order for us to do this we, according to Peter Senge, must commit to becoming a learning organization. As such, we will have to commit to “continually expand [our] capacity to create [our] future.” The axiom “knowledge is power” applies directly to every job in the functionality of the Court as an organization.  According to NACM’s Educational Development competency, “a key function for the court leader is the assurance of excellent court performance by actively leading judicial branch education in their courts.” Therefore, identifying untapped potential, maximizing our resources, and creating new ways to do something better, more efficiently and effectively, while getting the “best” out of our colleagues is contingent upon fully educating our employees, colleagues, and the Bench. We, as educators, often become entrenched in our daily “to do’s” and forget our pivotal role in building our learning organizations.  Remembering my pivotal role in creating a learning organization is my way of keeping an eye on the prize, so to speak. 

In this critical time, we have the unique opportunity to establish our organizations as learning organizations. Our competency rests in our leadership’s support, and the fundamental truth that “education and development is a critical means to advance the court’s values, vision, and achieve desired goals.” See: NACM Educational Development Competency.  I challenge you to be that visionary, that driving force, that person, who continuously reminds leadership that “judicial branch education helps bring about all other competencies.”  In conclusion, I know that an investment in education is an investment in our organization.  I continue to be honored to be a judicial educator in this time of change, engagement, and educational growth.  And lastly, I am confident that together, we can create the unified vision of courts as learning organizations.

Let’s keep the conversation going.  Is there an article/concept/theory/etc. that is front and center on your desk as a motivator?  Please share by posting to our Facebook page or sending to our Communications Committee co-chairs Lynne Alexander and Nancy Fahey Smith

What’s the “J” got to do with it?

For my first letter from the president, I feel it is important to negate a common misconception about our organization. I heard most recently someone describing me as, “she no longer does judicial education.” Interesting, I thought, then what do I do? Granted, I moved from Judges Education to Employee Education and Development in 2015, thereby expanding my audience type from approximately 180 constitutional officers to approximately 4000 Judicial Branch employees. However, I, as most of us, began my career in the law and then in education of the law. Subsequently, I migrated to what I now understand to be some form of legal education, having an impact on the courts or judicial overall. However, I still have no idea what “Judicial Education” means and I guess this is where the misconception starts. So I asked. According to Merriam-Webster, “the word [Judicial Education] you’ve entered isn’t in the dictionary.”

So I ask again, what is it that I have been doing all these years?

I’ll start with the basics. Merriam-Webster states that, “the term ‘judiciary’ is also used to refer collectively to the personnel, such as judges, magistrates and other adjudicators, who form the core of a judiciary (sometimes referred to as a ‘bench’), as well as the [staffs] employees who keep the system running smoothly. In some countries and jurisdictions, the judicial branch is expanded to include additional public legal professionals and institutions such as prosecutors, state lawyers, ombudsmen, public notaries, judicial police service and legal aid officers.”

So, it seems, if given that definition of judiciary, according to Merriam-Webster, anyone in the business of educating not only the “bench”, but also judicial employees, i.e. “[staffs] employees who keep the system running smoothly,” would be considered judicial educators. Additionally, if I read further on, anyone in the business of educating “additional public legal professionals and institutions such as prosecutors, state lawyers, ombudsmen, public notaries, judicial police service and legal aid officers,” should also be considered judicial educators. Thus, the expansion of education of the judiciary also would expand our role as judicial educators. So, how does this fit with the organization and who, then, should be included in our organization? As we are all familiar with, “the National Association of State Judicial Educators (NASJE) … strives to improve the justice system through judicial branch education. (emphasis added). NASJE is a leader in defining the practice of judicial branch education and in gathering and sharing resources among educators.” Therefore, by definition NASJE includes all judicial branch education / educators. Paired with Merriam-Webster’s definition above, we have expanded exponentially “to include additional public legal professionals and institutions such as prosecutors, state lawyers, ombudsmen, public notaries, judicial police service and legal aid officers,” as those individuals or organizations we serve in the role of educator.

To quote Dr. Anthony Simones, the 2018-2019 president, “what a special profession we are a part of!” The inclusive nature of our jobs affords us the opportunity to have a large impact on the legal system overall, and makes us uniquely poised to expand our audience types accordingly. The National Center for State Courts in their summary document on Institute for Faculty Excellence in Judicial Education states that “Judicial education plays an important role in the healthy functioning of a state’s judicial system by providing opportunities for knowledge and skills development as well as enhancing personal and professional growth.” We are so impactful, less we forget, as we move through the many offices of the judiciary, that each of us in our work as judicial educators, whatever that title represents to you, have made and continue to make a meaningful difference in the administration of justice.

With this shift in title and definition in mind, I challenge each of us this year to develop a new normal, a better definition, a larger perception of what we do, resulting in a more inclusive membership. It will be a shift in culture, and for some, the shift will be difficult for others seamless but for all of us it is necessary. Judicial Education has evolved and with the progression of our profession comes a philosophical change. Our jobs and our role in NASJE is much more expansive, so, my friends, let’s keep growing!

In conclusion, I thank you for all that you do and remain honored to be a judicial educator. The gratitude I feel in being part of this amazingly talented group of educators is overwhelming. Finally, I am extremely humbled to have been chosen as your president and I look forward to the next eleven months and beyond.

Together, we can change this misconception and create a new culture of Judicial Education.

For my final presidential message, I am going to focus on gratitude. Never have I been more aware of the fact that great things do not happen with a single person acting alone. To those who helped me through this year, I bestow upon you my gratitude.

First, I want to publicly acknowledge the special group of individuals on the NASJE Board of Directors I have been able to work with over the past year:

• Lee Ann Barnhardt, my friend and mentor, the person who taught me how to be an effective judicial educator, who has been there for me at every stage of my journey;
• Janice Calvi, different from me in so many ways, but my touchstone-the amazing person who gets so much accomplished behind the scenes and without seeking to grab the spotlight;
• Nancy Smith, my fellow swimmer, the brilliant analyst who has been a treasure trove of careful thought, wise counsel, witty observations and wonderful support;
• Jeff Schrade, the nicest guy I know and the “answer man,” the person whose judgment guides our financial decisions and whose common sense forms the foundation of our approach to almost every problem;
• Ileen Gerstenberger, who has impressed me ever since she taught the Foundations of the Profession course at my first conference, who responded affirmatively when I asked her to come and be a part of history;
• Jessica Foreman, the wonderful, eclectic hipster genius who came out of nowhere to mastermind the Austin conference and affect us all in so many ways;
• Crystal Banks, someone who likes to laugh almost as much as I do, a giant of the profession who answered the call when I needed someone to take over the Northeastern Director position in mid-stream;
• Todd Brower, a true Renaissance Man whose accomplishments and credentials are matched only by his commitment to others and his desire to bring justice to the world;
• Dan Rettig, the one whose quips and smirks cannot obscure how much he cares and how committed he is to being there for the people who depend upon him.

Thank you all. The accomplishments of the past year are attributable to your creativity, tirelessness, insight and support.

In addition, I want to acknowledge the group of individuals I asked to be co-chairs of committees. I know from experience that running a committee takes strategic thinking, organizational skills, the capacity to interact effectively with others, a commitment to getting things done and pushing through exhaustion to make things happen. Thus, I want to commend:

• Katheryn Yetter and Elizabeth Watkins-Price, who responded beautifully to my challenge to make the Futures Committee a major player in moving NASJE forward;
• Claudia Fernandes and Caroline Kirkpatrick, whose leadership of the Fundraising Committee created an effective path toward one of our most important endeavors, the NASJE conference;
• Lynne Alexander and Nancy Smith, whose work on the Communications Committee made our online presence consistently excellent;
• Jennifer Juhler and Dana Bartocci, the team from the Midwest who provided impressive leadership for the Diversity, Fairness and Access Committee;
• Lee Ann Barnhardt and Sara Dahl, whose leadership of the Membership and Mentor Committee produced essential information through the survey of NASJE members;
• Thea Whalen and Janice Calvi, who took over a committee that matters very much to me and made the Education and Curriculum Committee better than ever.
• Jennifer Mendoza chaired the Conference Planning Committee. A long line of impressive people have held that position in the past. They all marveled at the skills Jennifer exhibited in planning the upcoming conference.

I would also like to thank all the NASJE members I approached about joining specific committees and applying their considerable talents in particular areas. I made committees a priority in my presidency and the dozens of people to whom I reached out were an essential part of making this a successful endeavor.

I want to thank Lee Ann Barnhardt, Margaret Allen and Kelly Tait for being a mentor to me as I pursued this path in NASJE. I want to thank the past presidents I reached out to on a regular basis over the past year. I want to thank Janice Calvi for being a constant source of advice and support.

And I want to thank all of you who have contacted me with notes of support and encouragement. It made a difference.

I am grateful for this extraordinary opportunity and this remarkable organization.

Committees: Where the Magic Happens

When I took office last year, I was asked repeatedly about my agenda as President of NASJE and what I hoped to accomplish. I struggled to provide an answer. My initial inclination was to say, “Continue the great work and follow the lead of the talented people who came before me.” My second reaction was even shorter and less impressive: “Try not to screw anything up.”

But the more I thought about it, the more an answer began to materialize. I wanted to work to ensure that NASJE would continue to be the resource to others that it has been to me. I asked myself what I had gotten out of NASJE, what were the most significant benefits I derived from being a part of the organization. Here is the list I developed.

• I acquired a greater understanding of how to be an effective judicial educator.
• I gained increased confidence in myself as a leader.
• I developed relationships with some of the most special people I have ever known.

Then I asked myself, “When and where did these extraordinary things happen?” Was it in one-on-one conversations with other NASJE members? In some ways the answer was yes, but not fully. Was it at the national conference? Again, to a degree, but not completely. Then it hit me. The place where the greatest number of important things happened for me was in the committees on which I served. Then-Professor and future president Woodrow Wilson once famously observed, “The real work of Congress is accomplished in committees.” With a nod toward Professor Wilson, I can honestly say that for me, “The real magic of NASJE takes place in the committees.”

Thus, my priority as I became president was to enhance and strengthen NASJE’s committee structure. There were impressive people I wanted to appoint to committees and others I hoped would serve in leadership positions. There were some vital committees that needed to be reminded about how truly essential they are. I believe I have accomplished these two objectives. My third goal was to find a way to increase the number of people participating in committees. I hope to take steps toward that objective in this piece.

I will be the first to admit, committees aren’t sexy. Not many people become a part of an organization, whispering in hushed and awed tones, “Ooh, I can’t wait to get involved with committees.” When imagining rewarding and exciting professional activities, one thinks of things like travel, presenting at national conferences or working on statewide initiatives. Not serving on committees.

However, it is in committees that NASJE members wrestle with the issues facing judicial educators. They explore problems. They exchange ideas. They develop solutions. They pick up pieces when things don’t go as planned and work to make it better. It’s not always pretty. It’s not always fun. But it puts you up to your elbows in matters of judicial education. And that is where you learn. You are probably thinking at this point, “Wow, you make it sound so glamorous. Where do I sign up? NOT!” I’m not going to sell you a bill of goods or push a false vision on you. It’s not always easy, but it is where things happen. It’s where you make a difference. Isn’t that what drew you to education in the first place?

In our recent survey of NASJE members, 31% of those who responded said that they joined our organization for leadership opportunities. Committees offer the initial opportunity for leadership. In fact, very few people end up on the Board of Directors who have not been leaders on our committees. It was on committees that I had the opportunity to watch people like Kelly Tait, Jeff Schrade, Caroline Kirkpatrick, and Lee Ann Barnhardt exercise a style of leadership that I learned from and sought to emulate. It was on the Education and Curriculum Committee that I was privileged to engage in leadership with Judith Anderson and Janice Calvi, two individuals with the hearts of angels, the courage of lions and the wisdom of Solomon.

Finally, committees are where I have forged some of my closest personal connections. The number is too vast for individual identification here (you know who you are). These people have consistently demonstrated commitment, insight and a capacity for problem-solving on a wide range of committees. As I worked beside these amazing individuals, I became close friends with them. These are people who changed my life. I want other members of NASJE to have this same experience. If you are just paying your dues and showing up to the occasional conference, you are not getting everything out of NASJE that you can.

I think some of us fall into the trap of thinking that everyone is fully aware of the committee structure in NASJE, when the reality is something quite different. Thus, I will conclude this message by reminding you of the opportunities to serve on NASJE committees. If you are interested, just let me know and I will make it happen.

The Communications Committee: This committee plays the essential role of facilitating communication among the members of NASJE. The committee is responsible for the NASJE website, developing news content as well as coordinating member contributions. In addition, the committee oversees the website’s resources, information and communications networks. The committee also takes a leading role in managing NASJE social media sites.

The Education and Curriculum Committee: At the heart of this committee is the ongoing conversation about how to improve judicial education and the quality of justice administered by our courts. This committee plans sessions to be presented at the annual conference, orchestrates webinars and callinars for NASJE members and oversees creation, maintenance and updating of the Curriculum Designs.

The Diversity, Fairness and Access Committee: This committee brings the issues of diversity, fairness and access to the forefront in a number of different venues, from planning and conducting educational sessions at the conference and throughout the year to bringing these important issues to the attention of the members of NASJE in the way we operate our organization and run our courts.

Membership and Mentor Committee: For an organization currently undergoing dramatic change, this committee serves the essential task of supporting members of NASJE and promoting the value of membership. This committee takes a leading role in identifying mentors and linking them with new members, an invaluable service in helping judicial educators to thrive.

The Futures Committee: This committee keeps NASJE focused on tomorrow. It is currently involved in implementing the existing strategic plan and will be at the heart of our next strategic plan. This group identifies trends in education, the law, society and technology and ways for NASJE to address a constantly changing world.

The Conference Planning Committee: As the name implies, this is the committee that plays a central role in making our conferences come together. From identifying the conference theme and setting the agenda to planning educational sessions and events, the members of this committee are an essential part of our outstanding conferences.

I welcome you to join us in making the magic of NASJE happen.

On Making an Impact as a Judicial Educator

I hope this finds you all well and warm. In this piece, I would like to talk with you about making an impact. In one of his many memorable cinematic roles, Jack Nicholson once said, “I don’t want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me.” Even though the character of Frank Costello took this sentiment to sociopathic extremes in Martin Scorsese’s The Departed, I have always been able to relate to the foundational idea at the heart of the quotation. Frankly, it was one of the things I love most about being a judicial educator: being able to play a role in the development and implementation of important initiatives, policies and undertakings.

A few months ago, I asked a roomful of judicial educators whether they considered themselves court leaders. A surprisingly small number of people raised their hands to indicate that they saw themselves in this manner. I think to an extent their response was indicative of their acknowledgement that they did not sit atop the chain of command in their administrative structure. However, if that is to be the determinative factor, then very few of us are court leaders. I prefer to think of being a court leader as being able to have an impact on the direction the court will take and the way the judiciary will achieve its objectives. Seen from this perspective, I think it is undeniable that most of us are court leaders. When I speak of being a court leader, I am not talking about pounding a fist on the table and barking orders. In fact, it may take the form of subtle, behind-the-scenes maneuvering that NASJE Past President and legendary judicial educator Karen Thorson once described as “leading from behind.”

As judicial educators, we are able to influence the ideas being presented in the educational sessions held in our states. In the wake of Ferguson, I was able to help spark a conversation about the purposes of courts and whether those purposes were being met in many of our municipal courts. I was involved in the creation of educational initiatives that encouraged both the professionalization of circuit clerks’ offices and the recognition of Missouri’s clerks as judicial professionals. By no stretch of the imagination am I saying that these things happened solely because of me. However, I was able to use my position as Manager of Judicial Education to work toward much-needed reform.

I want to use this platform to encourage you to see yourselves as court leaders and to take action that will improve the performance of courts and enhance the quality of justice being achieved in your states. Obviously, I am not suggesting that you get yourselves in trouble by blindly and arrogantly attempting to resolve issues that are within the purview of others. However, where you do have a chance to have an impact, I encourage you to make your influence felt.

Your membership in NASJE can play an important role in making this happen. Resist the temptation to regard sessions at our conference as an interesting way to pass a couple of hours and instead challenge yourself by asking, “How can I put this to work in my state? How can I incorporate this into my job?” Participate in the webinars and callinars offered by NASJE that can have an impact on the way you do your job.

Similarly, make use of the information available on our website. For example, “The Role of Research in Judicial Education,” currently found on our NASJE website, is a veritable treasure trove of information that can be shared with judges and court administrators in your states on some of the most important issues currently facing the judiciary. The information comes from the Data Collaborative for Justice of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Copies of the articles can be obtained by emailing mjp@jjay.cuny.edu. One of the articles concerns revenue generation from fines and fees, an issue at the heart of Ferguson and one that is likely to become more relevant in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision in Timbs v. Indiana, incorporating the Eighth Amendment’s “Excessive Fines” Clause. Other articles address the movement toward bail reform and the essential nature of effective case management, issues that will be relevant in many states. Sometimes, making an impact can be achieved by simply passing on an important article to the right person.

Your ability to have an impact is also relevant to the future of NASJE. Later this month, the Membership and Mentor Committee will be conducting a survey of our members. Wait, before you dismiss this with an agitated, “Great, another survey,” let me tell you about this one. This survey has been carefully designed to influence the way our organization will develop and operate in the future. By participating and providing your input, you will be having a tremendous impact on what NASJE will become.

Finally, I am going to repeat something I said in my inaugural remarks in Austin. One of the greatest things about NASJE is that it doesn’t require you to serve an extended apprenticeship. You don’t have to be a backbencher for a decade before you can take an active part in our organization. You want to be on a committee? Talk to me and I will appoint you to whichever one interests you. You want to be involved in a webinar and share your expertise? Let me know and I will put you in touch with one of the committees or one of the regions that present webinars regularly.

This time ten years ago, I had never heard of judicial education. Today I am President of NASJE. I hope the path I have traveled in this organization reveals possibilities to our many new members: In NASJE, your success is limited only by your willingness to be involved. You don’t have to wait to make a difference. In NASJE, you can have an impact now.

For my first written communication with the members of NASJE, I wanted to address a reality I think many of us know deep within, but rarely stop and give it the consideration it deserves. I want to talk about being a judicial educator. More to the point, I want to share my thoughts on what a special profession we are a part of. In Austin I talked with the Fundamentals class about these topics. I wanted to extend my observations to a broader audience.

For over twenty years, I was a professor in the university setting. I loved it. I taught courses including Constitutional Law, Criminology and Government-subjects that mattered to me and that I found fascinating. I relished the opportunity to think creatively about important issues, to interact with and bring out the best in students and to be a part of creating a better future. My final teaching position was a small school in Georgia, where I created and ran my own program. As I said before, I loved it. But my wife wanted to return to her native Missouri. We wanted to start a family and she wanted our child to grow up surrounded by an extended family. She asked if I would be open to moving to Missouri if the right opportunity presented itself. I agreed, thinking that the possibility of something coming up in Missouri was remote at best. Not long after, my wife came to me with news of a job as Manager of Judicial Education for the Supreme Court of Missouri. I applied and was given an interview. I was then offered the position.

Teaching was something I enjoyed and at which I excelled. I was being asked if I wanted to trade it all in on something that was a complete unknown. From a professional point of view, it made sense to stay where I was, in a position I had worked to decades to achieve. For the first time in my adult life, I made a decision based not on what I saw as best for me professionally, but as what I saw as best for other people who were depending on me. I accepted the job in Missouri. However, I took it thinking, “Well, the most interesting part of your professional life is now over.”

As I look back on my thought process, it is astonishing how someone who is supposed to be so smart could have been so clueless.

Even though I had never heard of “Judicial Education” before I learned of this job opportunity, I was about to about to get a crash-course about a field that I have come to regard as one of the most worthy and meaningful professions I have ever encountered.

As a judicial educator, I have been able to interact with individuals in the courts who are simply amazing. From the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Missouri to young court clerks taking their fledgling steps in learning their new field, the attributes they display on a daily basis are remarkably similar: a desire to address problems and make a difference in the lives of others and a willingness to work tirelessly to bring about improvement of our system. As a judicial educator, I have been able to help those who work for the courts realize and understand just how essential their role is. Alexander Hamilton proclaimed that nothing has a greater impact on the people’s view of government than the daily administration of justice. Yet most people who work for the courts have no idea how essential their role is in giving life to the principles and ideals articulated by the Framers of our Constitution. As a judicial educator, I have been able to help those who work for the courts see how vital their work is.
As a judicial educator, I have been able to impact things I used to merely talk about in the classroom. One of the messages I presented for decades was the necessity of a fair and impartial judiciary that operated, to the extent that it is possible, beyond the realm of politics. As a judicial educator, I was able to design programs that allowed judges to interact with the public and spread this message. One of the ideas that I used to stress in my classroom was the necessity for collaboration and for individuals within government to learn to interact effectively with each other. As a judicial educator, I was able to create the Missouri Court Management Institute, which brought together judges, court administrators, court clerks and juvenile officers. This venue allowed the different players in our judiciary to learn about, and from, each other, with the intention of improving the quality of justice in our state.

I do not relate these accomplishments as a mechanism of self-aggrandizement, but rather, as a means of challenging each and every one of you to think about the ways that your work as judicial educators has made a difference in the administration of justice. This is what I have done; now, think about all you have done. We are so busy doing the important work that occupies every moment of our days that we rarely stop to think about how essential that work is in improving the lives of the people in our state. Lee Ann Barnhardt and I tried to do this at the conference with our session on a few of the outstanding programs around the nation, but we only identified the tip of the iceberg.

I hope that everyone who reads this will stop, take a moment and think about the importance of your work. Take a minute to recall the initiatives you have been involved in designing and implementing, the effort you have put forth to make a difference and the impact you have had on justice and the quality of people’s lives.

Which brings me to the final point I want to make about being a judicial educator. It has allowed me to become a part of NASJE and to meet some of the most brilliant, energetic, committed and caring people I have ever known. I am in awe of you. I am inspired by you. I have learned how to be an effective judicial educator from you. I have learned how to be a leader from you. I have learned how to be a better person from you.

And that is the message I want to share in my first communication. I am honored to be a part of this extraordinary organization and humbled to serve as your president. Please let me know how I can be of assistance to you. I look very, very forward to this upcoming year.

by Lee Ann Barnhardt

As I write this message, it is the morning of June 21—the first official day of summer. I love this time of year in North Dakota. The days are long (official sunset at 9:41 today) and the nights are cool; perfect conditions for watching a beautiful sunset or having a campfire at the lake. As much as I would prefer spending my days near the water, there is work to be done to wrap up my presidency and prepare for our annual conference in August.

Registration for the Annual Conference, August 26-29, in Austin is in full swing. If you have not checked out the schedule, please see the link on the main conference webpage. The line-up of sessions is fantastic and supports the conference theme of “Developing Educational Leaders for Today’s Courts and Beyond.” I think you may have trouble deciding which sessions to attend.

And don’t forget about the social events. We have a fun President’s Reception planned for Sunday night, followed by our film viewing, and a great evening event Monday at Banger’s Sausage House and Beer Garden in the Rainey Street District. I am looking forward to welcoming you all to my home state!

The board has continued to work on future conference planning—Denver in 2019 and New Haven, Connecticut in 2020, and will be looking for members to join those planning committees. Let me know if you are interested. The board, with the help of an ad hoc committee, is currently working on a policy relating to hosting joint conferences with other court-related associations. Another group is looking into developing a data-base of faculty and curriculum to replace JERITT. This is something our members have asked for and we are excited to research the possibilities. And of course our committees have been working to develop conference sessions and webinars, increase membership, and raise funds for our organization.

I have to say time has flown since becoming president in December, but I have enjoyed leading this organization. I want the members to know that the board members who represent you are some of the best people I know. They are smart, energetic, passionate and downright fun. You are in good hands! In the next few months, I am excited to represent NASJE at the NACM conference in July, to continue my work on the National Judicial Opioid Task Force, and lead us through the 2018 Annual Conference.

See Ya’ll in Austin!