Dr. Pamela Casey named NCSC’s Vice President of Research

Williamsburg, Va., July 17, 2018—Pamela Casey, Ph.D., principal court research consultant, has been named the next Vice President of Research for the National Center for State Courts (NCSC). Dr. Casey will succeed Dr. Thomas Clarke, who has announced his retirement effective February 3, 2019. Dr. Casey will assume the position at the time of Dr. Clarke’s retirement, and the two will work closely for the next several months to ensure a smooth transition.

"After a national review of candidates, it turned out we didn’t have to look any further than our own family,” said Mary McQueen, President of NCSC. “In all my discussions with academics, court leaders and donors, Pam’s name was the name that just kept surfacing as the right person for the job."

Dr. Casey says she’s looking forward to combining her years of experience with her vision for NCSC’s Research Division:

“Across my 32 years at the National Center, I’ve had the great fortune of working with so many judges, court professionals, and National Center colleagues who are dedicated to ensuring our courts are accessible, fair, and transparent for all. I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to lead our talented research staff in continuing to help courts innovate and meet the challenges of our rapidly changing business environment.”

Dr. Casey, who joined NCSC’s Research Division in 1986, has been on the forefront of court issues and trends for decades. She headed one of the first national projects on problem-solving courts, advanced work on court performance standards and measures, and led initiatives on court security and emergency management, public trust and confidence in the justice system, access to justice, and court responses to people in need of services.

Her current work focuses on evidence-based practices in pretrial, sentencing, and community corrections, and in judicial decision-making as well as judicial well-being. In addition to directing major research initiatives, Dr. Casey provides support to the Access and Fairness and Criminal Justice Committees of the Conference of Chief Justices and the Conference of State Court Administrators in their work to develop and disseminate national policy statements and recommendations for state courts.  Dr. Casey holds a Ph.D. in psychology from St. Louis University.

The appointment was met with enthusiasm by the court and research community. “Pam’s innovative court-focused research has been recognized by academics, judges, administrators and other court personnel, positively impacting the ways courts serve the public,” said Dr. Alan Tomkins, senior executive with the National Science Foundation’s Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences and a former Advisory Board member for NCSC’s Research Division.