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  • From the President (Spring 2019)

    Committees: Where the Magic Happens

    Anthony Simones
    NASJE President Anthony Simones

    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.

  • NASJE Vision 2020 Survey Results out soon

    Member Committee support NASJE VISION 2020

  • NASJE Secretariat Honored for Service

    Nikiesha Cosby, an association manager with the National Center for State Courts and the secretariat for NASJE, recently received the Florence McConnell Award from the National Center.

    Nikiesha Cosby
    Nikiesha Cosby

    The award honors former employee Florence McConnell and goes to the employee whose interaction with the courts and with fellow employees creates an atmosphere of trust and respect. The recipient not only maintains a high level of professional performance but also is supportive of colleagues in their personal challenges.

    Cosby began working for the National Center in 2006 as an administrative specialist and was promoted to program specialist before becoming an association manager in 2016.

    NASJE President Tony Simones said Cosby is most deserving of the recognition.

    “Most NASJE members only see Nikiesha at our annual conference, where she is instrumental in ensuring our success. What they don’t know is that Nikiesha works behind the scenes throughout the year, engaging in problem-solving, providing essential guidance and fielding calls from the President of NASJE on a disconcertingly broad array of issues,” said Simones. “She performs these miracles without ever losing her good humor and wonderful outlook on life. We are blessed to work with her and to know her.”

  • BOOK REVIEW: The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein

    By Nancy Fahey Smith, NASJE Western Region Director

    “An unjust law is no law at all.” —St. Augustine

    This quote from St. Augustine says it all for me after reading Richard Rothstein’s well-researched book The Color of Law (AMAZON). As an educator who spent the last 10 plus years working for the courts, where the rule of law reigns supreme, this book challenged what I thought I knew about segregation, racism, public housing and the law. As such, this enlightening book is valuable to judges and court employees for understanding who comes to court and how they get there.

    The Color Of LawRichard Rothstein’s thesis is that local, state, and federal laws, rules and policies deliberately caused segregation in public housing, beginning primarily around World War II when severe housing shortages for war workers caused the government to build public housing in large numbers where war industries existed. While the common supposition is that housing segregation is de facto (people live in segregated neighborhoods out of personal choice), Mr. Rothstein argues that segregation in housing is in fact de jure (a result of laws and policies of the government). His arguments are compelling and are a lesson for everyone in the court system, in fact for all citizens, about why housing segregation really happened, and what might be done about it.

    While currently most public housing is targeted towards the poor, in its early days, public housing was built for working- and middle-class families. Since few houses were constructed during the Depression, a huge shortage of housing developed in the 1930’s. When the economy ramped up with as WWII began, millions of workers, both white and African-American, migrated to cities where those factories offered work. The government invested in public housing to provide war workers with homes. But rather than make this housing available to all workers in all areas, the laws passed by Congress and the policies of the Public Works Administration, and later the Federal Housing Authority, required subdivisions to be segregated. The 1949 Federal Housing Act, which Mr. Rothstein calls the “poison pill” of housing legislation, affirmed segregation practices in law. In addition, many more white subdivisions were built than African-American subdivisions, forcing black people into crowded conditions or dwellings far from their work sites as they tried to find adequate housing. In addition, black subdivisions tended to be built in less desirable locations, for example, near heavy industry and dumps, where polluted conditions compromised the health of those forced to live there. No other choices were available to them.

    In addition, African-American workers were hired only for the most menial and lowest-paying positions, until the dire need for workers forced war industries to hire them for any position for which they had the aptitude. But the greater pay these workers earned did not allow them access into white subdivisions even when they could afford to live there.

    According to Mr. Rothstein, and supported in public record, the results of forcing segregation where it had previously not existed or was minimal, like in California, were many, and continue to exist and harm African-Americans today. In addition to negative health conditions mentioned above, another result of forced segregation was overcrowded neighborhoods which turned into slums. With housing for African-Americans in short supply, families subdivided their homes and took in renters, multiple families shared homes, and the resulting overcrowding caused neighborhoods to go downhill. In addition, housing segregation reinforced school segregation, and black schools were underfunded and inferior to white schools. Since black families could not buy houses that they could afford in better neighborhoods, they were not able to accumulate wealth and education the way white families could, a disparity that continues today. Mr. Rothstein explains clearly how government-sanctioned housing segregation negatively impacted, and continues to negatively impact, black families in areas of health, achievement gaps, wealth disparities, and mass incarceration.

    As an example of how housing segregation continues to hurt African-American families, Mr. Rothstein shows how in the time prior to the great recession of 2008-2009, lenders targeted low-income people and African-Americans (both working- and middle-class) for toxic mortgages in far greater numbers than middle class white Americans. When the recession occurred, these families lost most of the wealth they had earned over decades. African-Americans who lost their wealth with their homes far exceeded white Americans in the same situation.

    Mr. Rothstein finishes his book with possible remedies to the continued discrimination against African-American families. His solutions are sometimes radical, a fact he admits. As one example, he cites the gentrification of older neighborhoods around city centers. Mr. Rothstein states that while gentrification is not necessarily a bad thing, unless something is done to help the poorer neighbors living in these neighborhoods so that they can either upgrade their homes and stay or purchase reasonable housing elsewhere, gentrified neighborhoods end up richer, whiter enclaves and poorer residents end up in slums since those areas are often all they can afford when rents become unaffordable where they used to live.

    The Color of Law is rich with well-documented history and details of how public housing became segregated, how it hurt African-Americans, and how it continues to harm them. The fact that this segregation was de jure and not de facto provides a rich area to begin a discussion with judges and other court employees. This book is recommended for all court employees and is an excellent choice for any law and literature class or book club discussion.

    Nancy Fahey SmithFormerly the Pima County (Arizona) Field Trainer and a Superior Court Training Coordinator, Nancy Smith has over 10 years of experience working in court training and education, first at the Washington State AOC and at Pima County Superior Court (Tucson, AZ). She currently is a partner at Sustainable Change Coaching and Consulting. She came to the courts with 16 years of experience in education, both as a community college instructor and a high school teacher in Tucson, and as a curriculum coordinator at the Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA. Nancy taught many kinds of court related classes, including topics such as implicit bias and faculty development, and court related topics like due process and procedural fairness. She has a special interest in adult learning theory and application. Nancy has branched out into a new business, where she and her partner plan to teach court leaders coaching skills to improve employee performance and retention. She speaks periodically at conferences on topics related to judicial education and publishes articles for the National Association of State Judicial Educators (NASJE). Currently, she serves on the NASJE Board as the Western Region Director as well as on the Communication and Conference Committees. She earned her bachelor’s degree in French and History at the College of William and Mary in Virginia, and her Master’s in French from the Free University of Brussels, Belgium. Nancy grew up in a Navy family, married into an Army family and served four years as an Army Intelligence officer. She has traveled widely around the United States and Europe as well as to Peru, Mexico and China. She likes the outdoors, and swims, hikes, bikes and does yoga for fun and fitness. She can be reached at nancy@sustainablechangecoaching.com.

  • NASJE launches Vision 2020 Campaign

    NASJE Vision 2020The National Association of State Judicial Educators is launching its Vision 2020 Campaign with a membership survey developed by the organization’s Membership and Mentor Committee.

    The goal is to collect data on ways NASJE can better meet the evolving needs of its members. Once compiled, the board and NASJE’s committee chairs will use the data to improve the organization and the services it provides. A full report will be made available to members at the 2019 Annual Conference in Denver.

    The Vision 2020 data will also drive the strategic planning process for 2020-2025. The Futures Committee will be working on this plan and will use the report as a starting part for future organizational goals. It will also be used to continue to improve the NASJE website and the organization’s use of social media outlets.

    Key areas of focus in the survey are service to NASJE, member engagement, events and education, social media, networking, and curriculum guides. Members will also be asked to rate the value of their NASJE membership to themselves and their organization.

    The Membership and Mentor Committee is seeking maximum participation from members, who will be sent a link to the online survey on March 25. All members completing the survey will receive a free pair of NASJE sunglasses.

    Questions about the survey should be directed to Lee Ann Barnhardt, Membership and Mentor co-chair) at lbarhardt@ndcourts.gov.

  • Creating a Judicial Science, Technology, and Engineering Curriculum: You Can Help!

    Jim Sullivan
    Jim Sullivan

    The road to becoming a judge is paved with years of training, preparation, and the endless acquisition of knowledge. Curiously, much of the curriculum for judicial education is developed without judicial input. Oftentimes, judges are not afforded the opportunity to help shape the very learning experience they rely on for their development.

    Jim Sullivan plans to change that. And he wants your help.

    Sullivan is an air quality scientist and policy development professional with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He is a graduate of the William Mitchell College of Law, holds a master’s degree from Minnesota State University, and is currently completing his Doctor of Education at Saint Mary’s University in Minnesota.

    His doctoral dissertation explores judicial views on science, technology, and engineering, specific to the topic of reliability, and is designed to create a body of knowledge that will enhance judicial understanding of, and improve judicial decision making in, these complex areas. Check out a summary of Sullivan’s research.

    In order to make this vision a reality, he needs judges to participate in a short, open-ended online survey. In completing this survey, judges will be providing information essential for the creation of an effective judicial education curriculum on science, technology and engineering in the courtroom.

    Help improve the legal world! Do you know a trial court judge or judicial educator interested in linking judges in their states with the opportunity to participate in this groundbreaking study?

  • WEBINAR: Online Learning: The Big Picture

    Online learning is no longer just an occasional component of our job – in many cases, it’s fast becoming the primary focus! Join us for a panel discussion hosted by the Midwestern region with NASJE members who have facilitated the growth of online learning in their states and jobs. We will discuss how online learning changes your educational strategic plan, what’s happening in other states, and what’s on the horizon for court education and NASJE.

    What:
    Online Learning: The Big Picture

    Who:
    This webinar is open to all NASJE members

    When:
    Wednesday, March 27, 2019, 12:00pm to 1:00pm Central Time

    Panelists:

    • Christine Christopherson, Director of Judicial Branch Education, Nebraska Administrative Office of the Courts & Probation
    • Sarah Dahl, Program Manager, National Judicial College
    • Christopher Fields, Manager, Curriculum and Educational Services, Supreme Court of Ohio

    Moderator:

    • Jessica Foreman, NASJE Midwestern Regional Director

  • The Role of Research in Judicial Education: Lessons from the Data Collaborative for Justice

    By Cecilia Low-Weiner, Research Analyst at the Data Collaborative for Justice and Ed Spillane, Presiding Judge of College Station Municipal Court, Texas

    With increasing public scrutiny and calls for reform throughout the criminal justice system, a judge’s role as an impartial, fair, and balanced arbiter of the law is more important than ever. Increasingly, the judiciary is asked not only to administer justice but also work with compassion to understand the communities in which they serve. With this powerful role in mind, a judge must strive to always learn new and improved ways of serving the court and the public through continued legal training. In recent years, judicial communities have embraced the need for increased training on the most pressing issues through emerging research.

    The Data Collaborative for Justice (DCJ) at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, funded by Arnold Ventures, seeks to provide practitioners and policymakers with empirical evidence to inform conversations around the criminal justice system’s response to lower-level offenses. In July 2018, the DCJ released a special issue of Criminal Justice Policy Review. This special issue covered topics ranging from police officer use of discretion to pretrial detention and court processing. While each of the articles provide important insights, there are four which are particularly relevant to judges and those that provide continuing education to the judiciary. This article focuses on those four papers and the lessons that can be learned, and shared, to improve the course of justice.

    Revenue Incentives from Fines and Fees
    Many state legislatures have created perverse incentives that run contrary to courts’ goals of proportionate punishment, fairness, and efficiency, by relying on fines and fees from misdemeanor convictions for revenue and State funding. Martin (2018) examined monetary sanctions in Nevada and Iowa, focusing on the differing motivations these two states have to collect fines and fees as well as differences in how the states allocate receipts from such funds. The author suggests that monetary sanctions are being used to generate revenue to the detriment of achieving punishment goals. While originally thought of as an inexpensive alternative to incarceration – good for both punishment and deterrence – monetary sanctions are now understood to have a high social cost that reduces fairness and equity within the system.

    Pretrial Detention and Readmissions
    Judges have a common goal of reducing unnecessary detention of defendants, through diversion programs and successful interventions. Kim et al. (2018) used a pretrial detention admission population in New York City between 2000 and 2002, and assessed their likelihood of pretrial readmission over a 10-year period. About 60 percent of the sample were readmitted at least once within 10 years, and on average, if readmitted, they were readmitted three times. Individuals admitted for property crimes and substance sale were more likely to be readmitted for pretrial, which suggest economic hardship as a possible factor of pretrial readmission. The authors also addressed the point that the likelihood of pretrial detention is higher for non-violent misdemeanor charges and emphasized the need to assess the personal, public safety, and fiscal costs for detaining those individuals pretrial. Focusing on diversion programs and alternatives to incarceration may be better investment to prevent future incarceration.

    Right to Counsel in Misdemeanor Prosecutions
    Two articles examined no-lawyer-courts and the failure to appoint counsel at a defendant’s first appearance and highlighted the detrimental effects of not having counsel present. Harvey et. al. (2018) found that the defendants’ constitutional right to counsel in misdemeanor prosecutions was frequently violated, leading to lengthy confinements, misguided plea bargains, invalid waivers, and unconstitutional sentences in no-lawyer courts in St. Louis. Worden et al. (2018) found that when indigent defense programs adopted measures to ensure that counsel was present at first appearance, judges adapted to the new practice in various ways: some increased their rate of releasing on recognizance, while others set lower bails in misdemeanor cases. Overall, as a result, defendants were less likely to be detained before disposition, and when they were detained, they were likely to be detained for briefer periods.

    Improving the Pace of Criminal Case Processing
    As frameworks for docket management and case processing penetrate judicial education, the question of how to improve efficiency while maintaining quality is at the forefront. Ostrom et al. (2018) finds that caseload composition (i.e. charge types) within misdemeanors and felonies follow similar patterns across courts. Additionally, consistent with the principle of proportional treatment, more serious cases resulted in longer time to disposition than less serious cases. Despite these consistencies, the total time to disposition was longer in some courts than in others.

    These findings suggest that achieving tighter time frames in courts with faster court processing times comes down to more efficient court practices. The author suggests that effective court management involves creating goals and expectations of time frames and outcomes, and clearly communicating and following up on these expectations to all parties. Further, this study suggests that time standards provide an effective framework for setting goals and expectations, while balancing issues of quality and timeliness.

    Note: Access to the articles requires a subscription. If you would like copies of the papers, please email mjp@jjay.cuny.edu.

  • Meet NASJE Member Andrew Cano

    Welcome to Andrew Cano of Nebraska!

    What was your path to judicial education?
    I worked in the library field for 15 years, the last 9 of which were as an academic librarian. During this time, I worked a lot with nontraditional learners and, gradually, my work focused on online education. About a year ago or so, I realized I wanted to take my career in a different direction as I was working at a traditional research university and just missed working with adult learners. My wife, an attorney, recommended judicial education and I’m excited to be part of this field!

    How long have you worked at your organization?
    I just started in February.

    If you could do another job for just one day, what would it be?
    While things like “President of the United States” and “NFL quarterback” sprang to mind, I think I would go with astronaut as they are our modern-day explorers.

    What do you like to do when you’re not at work?
    I like to hike, run, read, watch movies, and play video games. Most of all, I love spending time with family, especially my three nephews, whom I’ve gotten into vintage Nintendo games.

    What’s your favorite movie? 
    I’ve always disliked this question because I consider it akin to asking, “Who’s your favorite child?” I’m a big movie fan and each film and genre is different so I can’t say I have a “favorite” one. However, in recent years, I have really enjoyed the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies and the Dark Knight trilogy as they have conveyed some powerful messages and created very memorable characters.

  • From the President (Winter 2019)

    On Making an Impact as a Judicial Educator

    Anthony Simones
    NASJE President Anthony Simones

    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.