1. What was your path to judicial education?
Judicial education is new to me as I have previously worked only in the private sector. Most recently, I worked as in-house legal for a startup accelerator program and helped to develop curriculum and mentor startups.
2. How long have you worked at your organization?
Less than a year.
3. If you could do another job for just one day, what would it be?
Float around as an astronaut in space!
4. What do you like to do when you’re not at work?
I enjoy travelling and try to visit a new county (or more!) each year.
5. What’s your favorite movie?
I don’t think I have a favorite movie, but I enjoy food documentaries like Somm and Jiro Dreams of Sushi
On January 30, 2018, at 2:00pm Mountain Time, the Western Region hosted a webinar open to NASJE members worldwide. The 60-minute webinar featured member Don Jacobson, Senior Special Projects Consultant at the Arizona Supreme Court. Don spoke about Arizona Chief Justice Scott Bales’ ground-breaking Fair Justice for All initiative.
The Membership and Mentor Committee is looking for new members, and would love to have you!
This committee supports and enhances both continuing membership in NASJE and recruits new members. by ensuring that each member is aware of the resources available to them through their NASJE membership and has access to those resources and services.
NACM is revising their Strategic Planning Curriculum and has invited NASJE members to take part in the process.
To see the current materials, visit the NACM Core website, and contact Kathy Griffin at kathy@nacmnet.org to get more information about serving on this committee.
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!
As judicial educators, we recognize trials are not as exciting as they appear in the media, but that doesn’t mean our courts should accept jurors sleeping through critical testimony and evidence. Join us to discuss how our courts can handle the inattentive juror and how to create an environment for engaged jurors.
A new NCSC report, Elements of Judicial Excellence: A Framework to Support the Professional Development of State Trial Court Judges, is now available. It is a first-of-its-kind resource for judges, mentors, educators, and state court leaders who support and seek to enhance their state systems of judicial professional development.
The report provides information about the general types of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics that judges themselves believe are important to judicial excellence, as well as recommended strategies to support professional growth.
The Elements of Judicial Excellence framework is based on the views of Illinois state Circuit Court and associate judges as shared with project staff through over 100 hours of interviews, 24 hours of focus group discussions, and follow-up surveys with all participants.
This project was supported with funding from the State Justice Institute and NCSC.
The framework and complete project final report can be found at the NCSC website.
The Membership and Mentorship Committee would like to introduce one of NASJE’s newest members. Hailing from the great state of Ohio, we present Morgan Patten!
1. What was your path to judicial education?
Before coming to the Supreme Court of Ohio, I worked at a couple of non-profits in positions that happened to have an education component. One of my favorite projects was working on a pain management curriculum for patients with chronic pain.
2. How long have you worked at your organization?
I’ve been at the Supreme Court of Ohio for almost four years, and just moved into a new position a couple months ago.
3. If you could do another job for just one day, what would it be?
I would be an actuary! I really like math and problem solving, and I have a nerdy interest in data-driven decision-making.
4. What do you like to do, when you’re not at work?
Well, I mostly run around with our kids. We have four, so there is lots of running! Favorite thing of late has been going to the new dinosaur exhibit at our local museum.
5. What’s your favorite movie?
Every Marvel movie. Can’t wait for Black Panther. Not to be too controversial in an introduction, but I just don’t love the DC film universe.
Dr. Anthony Simones and Judge Patricia Breckenridge
Dr. Anthony Simones, a NASJE member since 2011, has resigned from his position as Manager of Judicial Education and Programming for the Missouri Office of State Courts Administrator and taken a position as Director of Citizenship Education for the Missouri Bar.
Dr. Simones worked extensively with the Supreme Court of Missouri’s Civic Education Committee in the six years he was with OSCA. This new position will allow him to focus exclusively on what he characterized as his “favorite part of the job.” “I had only been with OSCA for about a month when Judge Patricia Breckenridge of the Supreme Court, the Chair of the Civic Education Committee, asked me to be involved with her initiative,” Simones says. “What I didn’t realize at the time was that Judge Breckenridge was giving me the opportunity to lay the foundation for my dream job.”
In his new position, Dr. Simones will design, coordinate and deliver presentations and programming to Missourians about the necessity of a fair and impartial judiciary, the importance of the rule of law and the protection of civil liberties. He will also work with middle and high schools throughout Missouri to create and offer competitions designed to enhance students’ understanding of our constitutional system and to encourage their interest in, and involvement with, the system of justice.
“The Executive Director of the Missouri Bar, Sebrina Barrett, encouraged me to continue my involvement in the leadership of NASJE,” says Simones. A member of the NASJE Board of Directors for over three years, Dr. Simones is the current vice president of the organization.
“This new job will allow me to utilize my experience as a Professor of Constitutional Law, the work I have done with the Supreme Court of Missouri and what I have learned from NASJE,” Simones says. “In many ways, I have been preparing for this position for my entire professional career.”
1. What was your path to judicial education?
Primarily my relationship and employment with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges starting in 2003. Most recently I worked for them as the Chief Program Officer for Juvenile Law, which I did until 2016, when I left for the University of Nevada, Reno. However I also did work with courts earlier in my career with the State of Alaska Division of Juvenile Justice.
2. How long have you worked at your organization?
I’ve worked at the University of Nevada, Reno in my current role since 2016, but have worked with them on-and-off in various capacities since 2002.
3. If you could do another job for just one day, what would it be?
Pilot.
4. What do you like to do when you’re not at work?
Putter around the house, home improvement.
5. What’s your favorite movie? This Is Spinal Tap.
Welcome to Lauren Nagata!
A new NCSC report, Elements of Judicial Excellence: A Framework to Support the Professional Development of State Trial Court Judges, is now available. It is a first-of-its-kind resource for judges, mentors, educators, and state court leaders who support and seek to enhance their state systems of judicial professional development.
