The view from my office window says winter, but the calendar says spring, so it must be time for a presidential update.
The board and the NASJE committees have been busy since we last met in Charleston. We are hard at work planning the 2018 Conference in Austin, Texas. It is scheduled for August 26-29, and the theme is “Developing Educational Leaders for Today’s Courts and Beyond.”
The schedule is shaping up to be innovative and informative. We plan to include a session spotlighting new, exciting, successful, and innovative programs and projects being offered by our members. Look for a survey request seeking your input. The Texas crew is also cooking up a great social program that will give us a little taste of Texas culture. We plan to have registration material out in May so please make plans to join me in returning to my home state!
The board will hold its mid-year meeting April 19-20 in Tucson. We will be tackling some policy issues related to scholarships, vendors, budgets, and joint conferences. The board will also give final approval for 2018 conference, begin initial planning for our 2019 conference in Denver, and review the proposals for the 2020 conference in the Northeast Region. If you have any concerns or issues you would like the board to address at its mid-year meeting or any time, please feel free to contact me or your regional director.
We have also done some work reaching out to our partner organizations. I attended the Conference of Chief Justices’ mid-year meeting in January and was able to visit some of the chiefs were we do not have NASJE members and encourage them to get their staff members involved. It was also nice to get a glimpse at their future conference agendas and know some of the issues they will be addressing in their educational programs.
This year’s education agenda focused on the opioid crisis, the impacts of legalized marijuana on courts and the science of addiction. Our treasurer, Jeff Schrade of Arizona, attended the NACM mid-year in California in February and is now working on a potential partnership with NACM that would have NASJE members teaching a faculty development session at their conference this summer in Atlanta. Look for more details as we flush out this plan at our mid-year meeting.
Finally, our nominating committee has formed under the leadership of Immediate Past President Caroline Kirkpatrick and they are looking for potential candidates to run for a seat on the board. Open positions will be posted soon, but if you are interested in serving, please contact Caroline or myself for more details.
On a personal note, spring will be a busy one as my youngest child competes in a her final season of track and graduates from high school and my oldest moves back home from college for another summer of hospital work. May your spring season be filled with productive, happy times and for those of us still snowed-under, may it melt soon!
Welcome to 2018! If you are like me, you have probably set and broken a few New Year’s Resolutions by now. Instead of setting resolutions for NASJE, I thought we would work toward goals—less cliché and perhaps a little less pressure.
Pablo Picasso once said, “Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act.” NASJE does have a long-term strategic plan and a mission in which I believe. Now is the time for action.
As your newly-minted president, I have a few things I would like to achieve during my few short months in office.
Goal 1 – Offer training for NASJE Mentors;
Goal 2 – Create an online version of the NASJE Fundamentals course;
Goal 3 – Have at least one NASJE member in all 50 states—as of January 1st, we have seven states to go: Alaska, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Oklahoma;
Goal 5 – Plan an awesome 2018 Conference in Austin, Texas!
Beyond that, my wish for the new year is that NASJE truly becomes a resource for each of you. Whether it is designing a new curriculum, finding faculty, developing a budget, or creating a new governance structure, let NASJE work for you. Connect with other educators through the website, social media, or the NASJE Listserv. Also, take advantage of online learning opportunities offered in your regions or nationally. NASJE is here to serve you.
In addition, I encourage you to attend a national conference. As noted above, the 2018 conference is scheduled for August 26-29 in Austin. The Conference Committee is working hard to pull together a terrific agenda around a leadership theme and will issue a call for session proposals soon. We would love to showcase innovative programs from your state or your star faculty, so don’t be shy about submitting a proposal.
And, I am happy to announce that we will be meeting in Denver for the 2019 conference. Stay tuned for dates and details!
Finally, I encourage you to start the new year by finding a way to get involved with NASJE. If you would like to serve on a committee, teach a webinar, run for office, or be a mentor, please let me know. We will find a place for you to shine!
Well, NASJE Colleagues, I hadn’t exactly planned to write another “President’s Message,” but then again, I hadn’t planned on Hurricane Irma or any of the frantic activity that occurred as that storm barreled towards the east coast with Charleston in its sight. Again, first and foremost, our hearts go out to all of those affected by hurricanes this season – we wish you strength and fortitude as you and your communities recover.
Postponing a conference is a miniscule effort, considering what others have had to endure. But as we all know, it sure doesn’t feel miniscule in the moment, regardless of one’s level of experience in dealing with emergencies. If Irma isn’t a teachable moment, I don’t know what is! Stay tuned for a future NASJE conference presentation on “Judicial Branch Education (JBE) Continuity of Operations Plans,” and if you need a refresher in COOP, take a look at NCSC’s COOP Planning Guide.
Lastly, if this “disaster planning” has you thinking about a time (or two) in your JBE career when you’ve had to implement Plan B, please share that with your NASJE Facebook friends. It’s likely that we spend significant time in our daily lives discouraging war stories, but in this case, we might all enjoy learning from each other and commiserating together.
Regarding the conference itself, we have essentially transported the educational agenda, the experiential learning opportunity (ELO) at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, and the social events to the new conference dates of December 3-6, 2017. Your Conference Committee Co-Chairs continue working to reschedule faculty on the new dates, and the response has been overwhelmingly, “Yes! I can be there in December.” Thank goodness! Given the “extra” months we now have until the conference starts, I’ll remind attendees of the advance reading recommended in the “ELO Preview and Recommended Reading” article on NASJE.org. Authors of the book We Are Charleston: Tragedy and Triumph at Mother Emanuel will join us at the church for our ELO. Make the most of it by reading and reflecting on the suggested materials before this Tuesday afternoon (December 5) session.
Since our Annual Business Meeting was postponed until December, the current Board remains in place until the next Business Meeting (Tuesday, December 5). On behalf of the Board, I respectfully ask that our committees continue their work as well. It is essential that we don’t “lose” these next 10 weeks, in terms of the tasks and responsibilities that fall to the hardworking chairs and members of NASJE’s committees. Visit the NASJE.org member area to view the latest committee reports, prepared for the September Business Meeting, to see what activities are underway and be in touch with a committee chair or member if you see something of interest. Volunteers serving on committees are always welcome and needed!
I’d like to end my remarks by having us look forward (again) to NASJE’s Annual Conference whereOld meets New: Incorporating Fundamentals, Instructional Design and Adult Learning into the21st Century, December 3-6, in Charleston, SC. My anticipation, and hopefully yours as well, will continue to grow as we look to December for all of the educational opportunities that were planned for September. We, as a Board, were able to implement “Plan B” largely because of the heroic efforts of Conference Committee Co-Chairs – Dan Rettig and Janice Calvi-Ruimerman – and Nikiesha Cosby of the National Center for State Courts. To have to prepare for this conference once is a monumental task, but twice?! I’m so very grateful for their attention to detail, for the Board’s and Past Presidents’ guidance, and to all of our members and attendees who remain “onboard” for December. During this unexpected down time, I have started another Pat Conroy novel, but the quote I used in the last message is so poignant, I hope you will allow it to remain posted just a bit longer… Until December, my friends!
Charleston has a landscape that encourages intimacy and partisanship. I have heard it said that an inoculation to the sights and smells of the Carolina low country is an almost irreversible antidote to the charms of other landscapes, other alien geographies. You can be moved profoundly by other vistas, by other oceans, by soaring mountain ranges, but you can never be seduced. You can even forsake the low country, renounce it for other climates, but you can never completely escape the sensuous, semitropical pull of Charleston and her marshes.
It’s one of my favorite times of year, especially when I’m able to enjoy some fun in the sun with family and friends. If you haven’t yet taken a vacation or at least slowed life to a summer pace, you better do so soon. “Back to school” messages are everywhere, making it hard not to think ahead to September and the educational opportunities and requirements often associated with that month.
NASJE’s own exceptional educational sessions continue to be planned for September 10-13 in Charleston. If you think you might be able to do some advance reading before the conference starts, in preparation for the experiential learning session at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, check out this article elsewhere on our website. Authors of the book We Are Charleston: Tragedy and Triumph at Mother Emanuel will join us. More on the annual conference in Charleston follows, but first, I’d like to share an overview of activities undertaken by our association this spring and summer.
Your NASJE Board continues to meet monthly in an effort to stay up to date on committee activities and projects, NASJE’s fiscal status, and opportunities and issues that may be of interest to the membership. One committee in particular is in need of assistance – the Membership and Mentor Committee. If you might be interested in serving as a NASJE mentor (and no, you don’t need 20 years of experience to do so!), please take a look at President-elect/Co-Chair Lee Ann Barnhardt’s recent article. You just might be inspired to serve, and we thank you in advance for your willingness to help NASJE’s newest members.
Karen Thorson Award. The Board is delighted to announce that Michael Roosevelt of California is the recipient of the 2017 Karen Thorson Award. He currently serves as the Senior Analyst, Criminal Justice Services, Judicial Council of California, Operations and Programs Division, but his contributions to the court community extend well beyond that position. If NASJE’s history was portrayed as a mural, there would be a gaping hole, were it not for the knowledge and services Michael has provided to the organization through the years. He has regularly led conference sessions and efforts to develop curriculum, in addition to acting as regional director and committee chair. Michael will join us in Charleston at the Annual Conference to receive this honor (and to lead a discussion), and you can look forward to learning more about him when his “interview” is posted to the NASJE website later this fall.
On June 27, NASJE held a webinar on “Rethinking Learning Styles” (recording available on the Members Only page). Nancy Smith and Mary Ann Koory of the Western Region and Tony Simones of the Midwest Region facilitated the discussion. The goal of the webinar was to help members prepare for the upcoming conference session that will be a continuation of this discussion, and will feature Tesia Marshik of the University of Wisconsin Lacrosse. Dr. Marshik’s Tedx talk on the subject of rethinking learning styles was the catalyst behind the 2016 conference session and this webinar.
On May 11, Education & Curriculum Committee member Julie McDonald of Indiana hosted a “callinar” session on “Vicarious Trauma.” Tiffany Hammill of Florida, whose capstone paper on “Addressing the Effects of Vicarious Trauma Experienced by Court Employees” served as the foundation for the session, and Loretta Oleksy, Deputy Director of the Indiana Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program, led the discussion of 22 NASJE members.
Since my last update, I have represented NASJE at both the NACM/IACA Joint International Conference in Arlington, VA and the CCJ/COSCA Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA. For their July 2017 conference, NACM partnered with the International Association for Court Administration (IACA), and the theme was “Excellence on a Global Scale.” Many of the plenary sessions had an international or global focus, but there were also numerous breakout sessions on topics of great interest to so many working in the courts, both stateside and abroad. A few NASJE past presidents assisted with faculty development for the event, and we are appreciative of the opportunity to strengthen our NACM partnership and the educational sessions themselves. As a reminder, you may view select annual (and midyear) conference sessions on the NACM website. Handouts and other written materials are available as well.
The Annual Conference of Chief Justices (CCJ) and the Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA) was held in Philadelphia (August 5-9), and the theme was “Federalism: Sharing Power, Securing Liberty.” Chief Justice of Pennsylvania, Thomas G. Saylor and Court Administrator, Thomas B. Darr offered remarks from the host state, followed by a warm welcome from Governor Thomas W. Wolf and Attorney General Josh Shapiro. An eloquent and inspiring start to a great event!
Education topics included the following:
Promoting Cooperation between State and Federal Courts
National Task Force on Fines, Fees and Bail Practices Update
Who Cares What “The Federalist Papers” Say About Federalism?
Safety and Security Strategies for Judges, Their Families and the Court (Judicial Family Institute Presentation)
On behalf of the NASJE Board of Directors, I thank all of these partner organizations for their invitations and look forward to continuing our joint efforts in judicial branch administration and education.
Let’s now turn our attention forward to an upcoming event that is equally exciting – NASJE’s Annual Conference where Old meets New: Incorporating Fundamentals, Instructional Design and Adult Learning into the21st Century, September 10-13 in Charleston, SC. Visit NASJE.org to see details, including the educational agenda and multiple articles on education sessions, including the We Are Charleston experiential learning session and the viewing of “Moonlight.” The article, “The Best of Charleston,” that Conference Co-Chair Janice Calvi-Ruimerman and member Meredith “Merry” Hofford wrote, is a must read. And, if you still have time for more reading, one of Pat Conroy’s novels set in South Carolina might be just the thing. I sincerely hope to see you soon in this historical city.
Charleston has a landscape that encourages intimacy and partisanship. I have heard it said that an inoculation to the sights and smells of the Carolina low country is an almost irreversible antidote to the charms of other landscapes, other alien geographies. You can be moved profoundly by other vistas, by other oceans, by soaring mountain ranges, but you can never be seduced. You can even forsake the low country, renounce it for other climates, but you can never completely escape the sensuous, semitropical pull of Charleston and her marshes.
It is my pleasure to wish you a “Happy Spring” and to update you on all of the amazing work that is underway, through our committees and through our outreach and collaboration with our justice system partners.
At the beginning of the year, President-Elect Lee Ann Barnhardt represented NASJE at the Conference of Chief Justices Mid-Year Meeting in Arizona. She was honored to get an inside look at the issues the chief justices are addressing, and suggested to the Board that we look for ways to integrate some of those same topics into our conferences and online learning opportunities. In addition, Lee Ann was able to visit with some of the chief justices from states which are not represented within our NASJE membership, educating them on the many benefits of NASJE. As the next President, Lee Ann will continue building and strengthening these relationships, and I greatly appreciate her efforts in this regard.
In February, I was privileged to attend the NACM Mid-Year Conference in Portland, OR, at the invitation of NACM President, Scott Griffith. NASJE Immediate Past President Margaret Allen also attended, and you can imagine our delight when we heard Scott talking about his experience at the 2016 NASJE conference in Burlington. He quoted one of our distinguished long time members, Dr. Maureen Conner, in the opening remarks of the plenary session on the “National Task Force on Fines, Fees and Bail Practices” with fellow speakers Jeff Chapple and Yolanda Lewis.
Judicial systems that offer education to judges and court personnel are making a statement about the importance of knowledge and information in evolving the skills, abilities, and aptitudes of its members. The values that leaders hold become evident by what they say and do. Educators as leaders must know what they value. Their values are articulated through the way they approach education from content selection to delivery format to defining learner groups. Each and every education opportunity and challenge is an avenue for educators to express the values they hold about the role of courts in society.
Educators as change leaders should ask three fundamental questions: What world do we want to live in? What role can the court play in creating and sustaining that world? How do we get there together?
The full article, “Creating Presence in the Age of Continual Change: Judicial Educators Leading the Edge” is available here. Another terrific resource is available on the NACM website. Did you know that NACM conference plenary sessions are recorded and available through their website, thanks to grant funding from the State Justice Institute (SJI)? Check out the list of sessions, and spend a few minutes getting up to speed on the latest court-related topics right from your office or home.
Also in February, NASJE Treasurer Jeff Schrade hosted the Board at the Judicial Education Center in Phoenix for its mid-year meeting. Much of the discussion related to issues and outcomes described below; however, written committee reports are posted in the Members-only area (scroll down to Reports) of the website. Even after serving on the Board now for a few years, I’m always surprised how quickly the mid-year meeting time passes. Just as distance learning endeavors can be valuable and just as they have their place in the education realm, there is nothing like in-person meetings for strengthening relationships and building consensus. Thank you, Jeff, for your hospitality and your excellent tour guide skills.
Continuing my update on outreach opportunities with our justice system partners, I’ll share information about a recent presentation that Immediate Past President Margaret Allen did for attendees of the American Judges Association Mid-Year Meeting in Arlington, VA. The presentation was entitled “Technology Trends for Judges,” and included updates from states on electronic bench books, social media, customer service online portals, records and document management and video technologies. Thank you, Margaret, for representing NASJE and sharing this informative presentation with our judicial colleagues.
Lastly, regarding our partnerships with other organizations, I’m pleased to tell you about collaborative efforts underway for the IACA/NACM International Conference that will be held in Washington, D.C. this summer (July 9-13). IACA stands for the International Association for Court Administration, and was formed in 2004 in Slovenia with the goals of promoting improved court management and administration in all countries and fostering professionalism and collegiality among those serving in court systems throughout the world. NASJE International Committee Chair Claudia Fernandes asked for volunteers to offer faculty development assistance to speakers at this year’s IACA/NACM conference. Several NASJE past presidents have offered to assist these presenters, and we look forward to learning more about the work the group is undertaking. Thank you, colleagues, for continuing your NASJE work beyond your presidencies while helping our organization strengthen its ties and relationships with justice system partners.
In case you haven’t heard, NASJE members from near and far plan to gather in Charleston, SC this September for our annual conference; I sure hope that you will be one of them! From the experiential learning opportunity that includes a visit and onsite discussion at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church to numerous other educational and social opportunities, we will learn and network together, with the goal of bringing back tips, experiences, ideas and connections to further judicial branch education in our respective states. Members will be notified when conference registration opens.
Can you think of other cities that might be ideal locations for a NASJE conference? If so, we’d like to hear from you when our new “site proposal” process gets underway. Members will have the opportunity to propose sites based on a number of factors, including hotel availability, weather, overall costs, proximity to an airport, “local” NASJE support, and other relevant factors. As you may know, NASJE conferences rotate annually by region. Following Charleston, Austin, Texas (Midwestern region) is our next destination. Conference dates are August 26-29, 2018. Mark your calendars now, and if you are from the region or have Austin or Texas connections, please contact Lee Ann about serving on the planning committee. There are lots of opportunities, from planning (and teaching!) the education sessions to supporting the related networking events…even hosting sessions at the conference. There are commitments of all sizes to fit your available time and interests. On behalf of the Board, we encourage you to become involved in conference planning for 2018 or a future conference.
In the meantime, if there are “education” colleagues in your own office or in your state, please consider sharing the newest NASJE membership brochure with them. The Membership and Mentor Committee, co-chaired by Lee Ann Barnhardt and Sarah Dahl, has been busy preparing and developing this terrific resource that can be shared with potential members. If you are attending a conference or a meeting where information on professional development associations or resources might be shared, print a few brochures to take along, or share the link after the meeting. Details about our organization, the NASJE listserv, the mentor program and other services are explained.
And finally, thank you to the membership for helping us make some Constitution and Bylaws updates that will ensure NASJE’s nomination process continues to be as fair and transparent as possible. So far, we’ve had about 100 responses in favor of the changes, but we still need about 30 more. The deadline for approval of the amendment is May 21. A detailed email was sent to the membership in April, but if you have specific questions, please reach out to me or Bylaws Committee Chair, Tony Simones. I’d like to thank Tony and the Bylaws Committee for all of their hard work on these amendments; this is detailed, cumbersome, important work. Please take time to vote if you have not already done so.
Throughout my message, I’ve expressed great appreciation for committee chairs, members, past presidents and others, and as President of a volunteer organization, that’s all I can offer. That being said, I suspect most of the folks intimately involved in keeping NASJE “running” would agree that they benefit immensely from their engagement and participation. If you aren’t already serving on a committee, serving as a mentor to new NASJE members, or serving NASJE in some capacity, please consider these and other ways to be active within our organization.
As if you need any more reminders that the new year is upon us…I’m going to add my well wishes for a happy, healthy, educational 2017! So often, we think about January as a time for looking forward, planning the year, determining what we will do better or what we will do more of. While engaged in some of this self-reflection, I was reminded of a conversation with a colleague that took place a few months ago, and began with a simple question – “How is your NASJE presidency going?” My colleague then added, “I’ve heard that there are two types of leaders – ones who attempt to steer the ship in a new direction, forging new paths, and ones who simply attempt to keep the ship off of the rocks.” While my ambition certainly does not completely align with “simply keeping the ship off of the rocks,” I hardly see the need for a new direction or a new path. NASJE has continued to grow and evolve since its inception in 1973, into an organization that is recognized nationally and internationally for its commitment to advancing the administration of justice through excellence in judicial branch education.
Looking back on 2016, I was reminded of “Sleepless in Seattle,” but not because of the movie, but rather because of the formatting of the title. I think it’s mostly because a similarly formatted phrase…“Pining for Burlington”…seems to characterize my feelings to a tee! The weather was beautiful, the connections and friendships even more solidified and the professional renewal was at work once again. I don’t know about other members who took part in NASJE’s annual conference in beautiful Burlington, but I for one have already used some good tips here in Virginia. Please take this opportunity, if you have not already, to look over your conference information, including all of the resources available in the cloud, and take some action. Do one thing to pay forward all of the good education and work that occurred in Vermont. For those of you who couldn’t attend, you are also being called to action. The conference materials are available in the “Members Only” section of nasje.org, so please take a look when you have a minute. NASJE’s utility reaches far beyond conference attendance – we can continue to grow, learn and network throughout the year in a variety of ways.
Let’s recollect some of these ways, so that we can begin to plan on attending and participating in as many of them as possible:
Familiarize yourself with the committee list and contact a chair to see how you can get involved; the monthly schedule of committee calls can be found on the NASJE calendar.
Continue to visit nasje.org regularly as articles, book reviews, videos and other educational resources and announcements are posted.
Use the listserv to ask questions about what other states are doing and share if something has worked particularly well for you and your judicial branch “consumers.”
Consider submitting a proposal for a conference workshop or session at “other” education or court related conferences. Let related communities benefit from NASJE members’ expertise and collective knowledge.
Help increase our social media presence and value by “sharing” and “liking” articles, court community events, colleagues’ accolades, and studies that promote healthy discussion and reflection.
One last idea, if I may…begin thinking now about ways to increase the likelihood of your attendance at the 2017 annual conference in Charleston. As indicated above, it is but one way to stay connected and involved in NASJE, but I suspect there are few educational experts who would deny the awesome power of face to face interaction and connections. Are there topics you could present during a breakout session? Are there topics or areas of concern that could be suggested for the 2017 program that might help persuade “the powers that be” to support your attendance? Can the NASJE conference registration fee be earmarked now for any funds that are saved during the year or that remain at the end of the fiscal year? Would you be willing to fund some portion of attendance, demonstrating your commitment to the profession AND your agency or organization? Unfortunately, many of us have little control over budgets or out of state travel policies, but we all benefit when conference attendance is high and diverse. More ideas, more examples, more tips and best practices…it’s a win win, so start thinking now of ways to increase your likelihood of being South Carolina bound next September.
I appreciate so much the opportunity to serve as NASJE’s President and feel confident that with your support and the guidance of the Board and other past and present NASJE leaders, our ship will stay the course. Let’s make 2017 another unforgettable year for ourselves and our organization!
Best wishes for a joyous holiday season, time with family and friends, good health and happiness.
If it’s possible, I encourage you to take a short break from thinking about judicial branch education and prepare to re-engage in 2017. Our organization is strong, our members are active and supportive of NASJE’s vision and strategic plan, and our valuable work continues.
Thank you for everything that you do for your state, your organization, your colleagues, your constituents and NASJE.
Colleagues, greetings from America’s interstate highways! After a summer of working remotely from Ohio in between conferences, I am about to officially (finally) move to Williamsburg, Virginia to begin my new role as Director of National Programs at the Institute for Court Management at NCSC. In this edition of “From the President”, I’ll share an overview of the many activities undertaken by our association this spring.
Board Activities
Your NASJE Board has met each month to ensure that the membership is receiving excellent benefits and that the association’s strategic and fiscal interests are well in hand. Below are a few highlights:
Karen Thorson Award. The Board is delighted to announce that Jim Drennan of North Carolina is the recipient of the 2016 Karen Thorson Award. Through his service at the University of North Carolina School of Government and his extensive participation in NASJE, Jim has made an indelible impression on the court community. Jim will join us in Burlington at the Annual Conference to receive this honor, and you can look forward to learning more about him and his service in a profile to be posted to the NASJE website later this month.
Committee Corner: NASJE committees are active year-round, and it is never too late to join. Click here to see a list of committees with contact information for committee chairs, and click here to see a calendar of committee meetings.
Save the Dates! NASJE has offered some sort of professional development opportunity nearly every month in 2016. Check the calendar for upcoming events. Emails will be sent to members from nasje@ncsc.org with links and phone numbers to join each event. Keep reading for a preview of upcoming sessions and a summary of past events:
Upcoming events:
Webcast, August 31 at 3 pm ET: New Course Development Resource: The NACM Core: NACM Board member Paul DeLosh (VA) will present on NACM’s new curriculum designs, including a review of the development process and practical uses for these resources. NASJE Midwest Regional Director Tony Simones (MO) recently used the NACM Core curriculum designs as part of a presentation to Missouri municipal court staff to begin addressing the problems that gave rise to Ferguson. Dr. Simones’ presentation will serve as a preview for a full-length plenary session to be presented at NASJE’s Annual Conference (see below for more details).
September 25-28: NASJE Annual Conference, Burlington, Vermont. “Changing Perspectives in Judicial Branch Education: Re-Engage, Rethink, Renew”. Early bird registration ends August 15! Click here for details.
Past events (many are available on the Members Only page of www.nasje.org!):
February 2016 webcast: Procedural Fairness for Court Staff, taught by NASJE Northeastern Regional Director Joan Bishop, NASJE Immediate Past President Kelly Tait, and Emily Gold LaGratta of the Center for Court Innovation
June 2016 webcast: E-Learning: Just in Time, On Demand and On the Go!, taught by Gavin Lane (CA) and NASJE Past President Joseph Sawyer (NV).
Education and Curriculum Committee (ECC) “Callinars”: In both April and July, the ECC hosted a callinar – that is, a small group discussion held via conference call to discuss a topic of interest.
The session on April 28th was facilitated by NASJE Midwestern Regional Director Tony Simones. The topic was decision fatigue (read the article discussed in the session).
NASJE Partners. Since my last update, I have represented NASJE at both the NACM Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh and the CCJ/COSCA Annual Meeting in Jackson Hole, WY.
The NACM Annual Conference theme was “Making Connections: Integrative Leadership and Court Performance”. In hereaddition to the numerous relevant breakout topics, the conference featured an unflinching look at some difficult issues, including a plenary on Collaborative Leadership: Ferguson and Beyond, featuring Misshereouri Chief Justice Patricia Breckenridge, a current and retired judge (both from Missouri), and a community partner. Click the following links to view all available conference materials and also videos of selected sessions.
At the CCJ/COSCA Annual Meeting (theme: Domestic Relations: Courts as the Mechanism for Change), education topics included the following:
Self-Represented Litigants in Family Court – Courts Balancing Strategies and Services for Accessing Justice,
Final report on the Civil Justice Initiative project,
Integrated Domestic Violence Court, and
Third Party Evaluators in Child Custody Proceedings.
Notably, in each session, education was highlighted as a key component of moving toward positive change. This, of course, reflects the important role of judicial educators in the court community.
Last but certainly not least, Matthew Mead, the Governor of Wyoming, spoke eloquently at the opening ceremony of the conference, revealing that he is a passionate supporter of the independence of the judicial branch. Wyoming Chief Justice James Burke shared in his introduction that the governor personally attends the swearing-in ceremony of each Wyoming judge – just one way that he supports the interdependence of the three branches of government.
On that note, on behalf of the NASJE Board of Directors, I thank you for your efforts to advance the administration of justice through excellence in judicial branch education.
Contact me or any member of the Board with questions, ideas or comments about how your NASJE membership can be a greater professional benefit for you. We look forward to connecting with you at an upcoming NASJE webinar, a committee meeting, on the Judicial Educators Facebook page, our LinkedIn group, the list serve, or by email or telephone.
All the best to you, stay cool, and I hope to see you in Vermont next month at the conference!
Margaret R. Allen, President, NASJE 757.259.1581 mallen@ncsc.org
Colleagues, I hope this message finds you very well. In this edition of “From the President”, I’ll share an overview of the many activities undertaken by our association since January.
Board Activities
Midyear Meeting. The NASJE Board of Directors met in Austin, Texas on January 25-26 and were graciously hosted by NASJE member Mark Atkinson and his staff at the Texas Center for the Judiciary.
Topics of discussion included:
Consideration of the Strategic Planning Document and identification of ways to achieve short-term goals related to increasing membership, raising NASJE’s profile and enhancing benefits of NASJE membership
Examination of the Curriculum Use Plan and discussion of methods to make it an even more accessible resource for members and others. Click here to view the Curriculum Use Plan easy reference guide distributed at the October 2015 NASJE Annual Conference.
Review of NASJE’s budget and investments. Thanks to the meticulous work of Treasurer Jeff Schrade and Merry Hofford before him, NASJE is in excellent shape financially.
In addition to conducting Board business, we also had the pleasure of seeing several NASJE members and partners in Austin:
Hope Lochridge, Executive Director, and Ryan Turner, General Counsel and Director of Education, both of the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center.
Dottie McDonald from Smart Start, Inc.
Scott Griffith, President-Elect of the National Association for Court Management (NACM) and Director of Research and Court Services, and David Slayton, NACM Past President and Texas State Court Administrator, joined us for lunch. Mr. Slayton was kind enough to give us a tour of the Texas Capital and the Administrative Office of the Courts, including both courts of last resort in Texas. See the Facebook page soon for photos from the tour.
Virtual Meetings for State Directors and Past Presidents. Look for an email soon to schedule virtual meetings for each of these groups. Time has been allotted on Sunday, September 25 for sessions at the annual conference as well.
NASJE Goes Behind the Camera. The Board of Directors is leading an initiative to create videos for prospective members and new members and invites your photographs or videos of courses, your office space or of you and your colleagues. Also invited are short videos and/or audio clips about the work of judicial branch educators and what it means to us, as well as the benefits you enjoy as a NASJE member. Please send submissions to margaret.allen@sc.ohio.gov with the subject line “NASJE Video Project”.
Committee Corner: NASJE committees are active year-round, and it is never too late to join. Click here to see a list of committees with contact information for committee chairs, and click here to see a calendar of committee meetings.
Save the Dates! NASJE has many learning opportunities in the works for 2016. Check the calendar for more details. Emails will be sent to members from nasje@ncsc.org with links and phone numbers to join each event.
Look for webinars planned by NASJE’s regional directors in May, June, and August, and “Articlub” (think of a book club format, but discussing an article) conference calls in April and July. Dates and times TBA, but most will fall during the fourth week of the month. These webinars are just one of the valuable benefits of NASJE membership.
September 25-28: NASJE Annual Conference, Burlington, Vermont. “Changing Perspectives in Judicial Branch Education: Re-Engage, Rethink, Renew”. More information and registration materials will be available by May.
Have a colleague who develops education at the local level? Let them know how much you benefit from being a NASJE member!
NASJE Partners. I greatly enjoyed the opportunity to meet chief justices from around the country at the Conference of Chief Justices (CCJ) Midyear Meeting in early February. Pictured below are NASJE Past President John Meeks (Vice President, ICM), NASJE President Margaret Allen, and CCJ President Chief Justice Gilbertson at the conference.
Our colleagues at the National Association for Court Management (NACM) highlighted a new resource at their February Midyear Conference – the curriculum designs based on the NACM Core, the thirteen competency areas identified in the refresh of the NACM Core Competencies created in the 1990s. In the planning stages is a joint webinar with NACM to introduce the resource to NASJE and NACM members (target month is May 2016).
The NACM Midyear Conference theme, “Extending Out from the Core: The Profession in Practice” provided a canvas on which to present practical sessions on topics such as procedural justice, the role of perceptions in communication, employee engagement, pretrial justice reform and others. Click here to view conference materials. For videos of selected sessions, click here.
CCJ President Chief Justice Gilbertson (SD) opened the CCJ Midyear Meeting with the observation that “none of our jobs are getting easier, and for that reason education is essential”. I couldn’t agree more, and on behalf of the NASJE Board of Directors, I thank you for your efforts to advance the administration of justice through excellence in judicial branch education.
Contact me or any member of the Board with questions, ideas or comments about how your NASJE membership can be a greater professional benefit for you. We look forward to connecting with you at an upcoming NASJE webinar, a committee meeting, on the Judicial Educators Facebook page, our LinkedIn group, the list serve, or by email or telephone.
All the best to you, and I wish you a wonderful spring!
Greetings from Ohio! In this edition of “From the President”, I’d like to share my plans for the coming year.
After the conference concluded in Seattle, the Board held its traditional meeting. Before the meeting started, we had lunch with all available committee chairs, and I asked everyone to share a word or phrase that encapsulated their plans or hopes for the coming NASJE year. Click here to see a “word cloud” image of all the contributions.
My phrase was “come together.” NASJE is an organization made up of diverse members – while we do similar work, our methods to accomplish it vary greatly. We come from different areas of the world, our organizations are structured and perhaps funded differently, and we each develop education in our own unique method. An image that comes to mind is a tapestry woven together from many different threads. Each thread is distinct, but by weaving them together, a beautiful design is completed. Over my ten years as a member, I have observed that while NASJE members collaborate on an organizational level on some projects, such as the curriculum designs and our annual conferences, we could also come together at an even higher level in additional ways:
Gather information regularly from members regarding their educational offerings so that all can benefit from the information through sharing of materials or possibly attending courses of interest;
Partner with other judicial branch organizations such as NACM, COSCA, CCJ and others for the benefit of all, highlighting the important role of judicial branch educators (by attending and presenting at conferences, partnering on projects, etc.);
Coordinate with partner organizations in terms of scheduling webcasts, conferences and other activities to avoid overlapping complementary events;
Continue to document our internal processes and practices so that our volunteer leadership can more easily transition from year to year; and
Grow our social media presence to allow members to easily share information and to inform our partners and the public about NASJE activities.
Undoubtedly this idea can be explored further. I welcome you to share your thoughts with me via email at margaret.allen@sc.ohio.gov or by phone at 614-387-9464.
Board Activities: As always, your Board is hard at work on your behalf. Today at our Board meeting, we’re going to approve the 2016 budget, finalize the location of the 2017 and 2018 conferences (to be held in the Southeast and Midwest, respectively), and continue to use the Strategic Planning Document as a guide as we look ahead.
COSCA Midyear Meeting: I had the pleasure of meeting many of your state court administrators at the Conference of State Court Administrators in early December at their midyear meeting. Our organizations have many shared interests, including a commitment to excellent education, a focus on diversity, and a mission to improve the administration of justice. I was able to share NASJE resources during committee meetings, including our curriculum designs, as well as thank them for their support of your participation in NASJE and encourage those states without NASJE members to consider membership in the new year. You’ll be interested to know that Washington State Court Administrator and NASJE member Callie Dietz is COSCA’s Education Committee Chair – great to see a NASJE member in that important role.
NASJE Website: I encourage you to visit www.nasje.org regularly to read articles of interest to judicial branch educators and learn about committee activities, regional meetings, and other resources. Click here for a calendar of committee meeting dates and times. These will also be entered into the calendar (click “Calendar” on the black menu bar at the top of the home page). Email addresses for Board members and committee chairs are on the Board and Committees page, respectively.
NASJE on Social Media: Have you joined the NASJE LinkedIn page or the Judicial Educators Facebook page yet? Social media is an easy way to share relevant information and keep in touch with NASJE colleagues, as well as raise our profile.
Giving Tuesday: Many thanks to those who made a tax-deductible contribution on Giving Tuesday (and throughout the year). NASJE has received nearly $1,000 in donations since the conference – funds that will grow our endowment and support conference scholarships and other initiatives.
As you can see, our organization has a lot of irons in the fire. In Seattle, Immediate Past President Kelly Tait concluded her excellent welcoming remarks to conference attendees with this William Butler Yeats quote – “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” I’ll end here with the observation that NASJE’s fire is burning brightly, thanks to the energy and contributions of all kinds from our committed members.
I wish you all the best for a wonderful end to 2015 and a superb start to 2016. It is a privilege to serve our organization as President, and I look forward to working with you all over the coming year.
