Month: October 2024
American Judges Association Annual Conference
October 5th, 2024
The American Judges Association will host its annual conference from October 5th to October 10th in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The conference will focus on the theme Welcome to the New Age: The Future of Courts in the Era of Artificial Intelligence.
The conference will include sessions such as:
- Constitutional Law Update by Dean Erwin Chemerinsky
- Artificial Intelligence 101
- Legal Aspects of Emerging Technologies, and more.
For more information, please visit AJA’s website or contact aja@ncsc.org.
View detailsWebinar: Transitioning To a New Leadership Role
October 9th, 2024
Court Systems rely on effective leadership to operate effectively and efficiently, and leadership requires more than just seniority or title.
Embracing a new leadership position can be a transformative experience that can lead to personal growth and professional development. It also sends a signal that the organization is committed to promoting growth within. Transitioning into a new leadership role allows individuals to showcase their skills and make a positive impact on their teams and organizations.
In this session, we will explore techniques for successfully positioning yourself for leadership opportunities. Panelists will share their personal insights on their own experiences with transitions into leadership roles while discussing the challenges they encountered, and lessons learned along the way.
Moderator:
- John Bello, Deputy Managing Director, Court Consulting Services, National Center for State Courts
Panelists:
- The Honorable Joseph A. Zayas, Chief Administrative Judge, New York State Unified Court System
- Danielle Hall, Chief of Professionalism and Outreach, Kansas Office of Judicial Administration
- Lana Jones, Chief Human Resources Officer, Massachusetts Court System
For more information, email DeShield Greene.
View detailsWebinar: National Open Court Data Standards (NODS)
October 10th, 2024
Court data are in higher demand than ever before.
A growing number of users—both within and outside of courts—seek data that are accessable, accurate, and easy to understand. To support courts’ data-sharing and data-use efforts, NCSC has created the National Open Court Data Standards (NODS).
Join this webinar to learn more about the standards and implementation efforts underway. We’ll hear from representatives of Arizona, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Puerto Rico about how they are using NODS in their jurisdictions.
Moderator:
- Diane Robinson, Principal Court Research Associate, National Center for State Courts
Presenters:
- Laura Ritenour, Court Specialist, Arizona Administrative Office of the Courts
- Katie Blakeman, Senior Data and Innovation Manager, Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts
- Kim Nieves, Director of Research and Statistics, Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts
- Mario Marazzi Santiago, Director, Office of Statistics, Data Sciences and Judicial Planning, Puerto Rico Judiciary
Webinar: Navigating AI in Court Systems - Ethics, Legal Frameworks, and Practical Tools
October 16th, 2024
The integration of AI in court systems promises enhanced efficiency and decision-making capabilities. However, it also raises significant ethical and legal challenges that courts must address to maintain public trust and uphold the principles of justice.
This session, an extension of the first ethics webinar, Ethics of Generative AI: A Guide for Judges and Legal Professionals, will assist participants in developing an AI ethics infrastructure to ensure that AI technologies are used responsibly and ethically. A proactive approach that includes guiding principles, standards, and protocols helps courts prevent misuse, bias, and potential harm, thereby safeguarding the integrity of the judicial process and preserving public trust and confidence in our legal system.
By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
- Understand the potential need for revisions or additions to existing legal frameworks and standards to ensure they remain relevant, comprehensive, and capable of safeguarding justice, fairness, and privacy.
- Access practical, ready-to-use tools and resources designed to guide the ethical and effective handling of generative AI-related issues within court systems.
David Sachar, director of NCSC’s Center for Judicial Ethics, and Carter Cousineau, vice president of Data and Model Governance at Thomson Reuters, will explore existing legal frameworks and standards that govern the use of AI and Generative AI in judicial processes and discuss how advances in technology may create the need for revisions or additions. They will also share a wealth of information and resources that can assist courts with integrating Generative AI solutions in an ethical and responsible manner.
Sachar joined NCSC in 2023 and previously served as the executive director of the Arkansas Judicial Discipline & Disability Commission. He is an emeritus member of the board of directors of the Association of Judicial Disciplinary Counsel and a member of the board of directors of the Institute for African Women in the Law. Cousineau leads a global team at Thomson Reuters focused on advancing the technology industry with ethical practices. She has extended her work in AI through her advisory involvement with the AI Safety Consortium at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the University of Toronto’s Data Sciences Institute, and International Association of Privacy Professionals.
It is recommended that you watch the first ethics webinar, Ethics of Generative AI: A Guide for Judges and Legal Professionals, but it is not required.
Thomson Reuters Institute/NCSC AI Policy Consortium for Law and Courts is offering this webinar.
Presenters:
- David Sachar, Director, Center for Judicial Ethics, National Center for State Courts
- Carter Cousineau, Vice President, Data and Model Governance, Thomson Reuters
- Lea Strohm, Lead Data and Model Ethics, Thomson Reuters
For more information, email Grace Haviland.
View detailsWebinar: Outreach and Access Strategies for Civil Diversion Programs
October 17th, 2024
Completing a civil diversion program can take some time. Parties need enough time to work through a program and collaborate with program partners to achieve a resolution.
When designing civil diversion programs, courts must make strategic decisions about when and how they will create opportunities for litigants to engage with the diversion program and what the process will look like.
Civil diversion programs may focus on upstream interventions, seeking to resolve disputes before they become court cases, or downstream interventions that build resources directly into the court process.
Join our second session of the Civil Diversion webinar series to learn more about the range of civil diversion program models operating around the country and how each court has taken steps to build access points and time into the existing court process and encourage or incentivize participation in civil diversion programs.
Moderator:
- Chief Justice Marla Luckert, Kansas Supreme Court
Panelists:
- Mairead Napolitano, Court Division Administrator, Las Vegas Justice Court, Las Vegas, Nevada
- Priscila Auffant, Eviction Diversion Initiative Program Manager, Center for Justice Innovation, Brooklyn, New York
- Adelaida Mendoza, Eviction Resolution Coordinator, Douglas County District Court, Lawrence, Kansas
For more information, email Laina Combest-Friedman.
View detailsWebinar: Courts Navigating the Behavioral Health Continuum
October 24th, 2024
Court Navigator Programs are gaining popularity in jurisdictions across the country. These programs guide people through the legal process and are crucial in establishing connections to community-based behavioral health, social, and human services.
Please join us to learn more about three jurisdictions using court navigators to assist court users. You will also gain insights into the role that Behavioral Health Administrators within the Administrative Office of the Courts play in coordinating and supporting Court Navigator Programs.
Moderator:
- Paula Carey, Chief Justice (retired), Massachusetts Trial Court
Presenters:
- Scott Block, State Court Behavioral Health Administrator, Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts
- Tessa Clements, Behavioral Health Program Supervisor | Office of Court Innovation, Washington Administrative Office of the Courts
- Ryan Keith, Recovery Navigator Program Administrator, Washington State Health Care Authority, Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery
- Marisa Hebble, Senior Manager for Behavioral Health, Massachusetts Executive Office of the Trial Court
For more information, email Miguel Trujillo.
View detailsWebinar: Updating Fines, Fees, and Pretrial Practices: An Illinois Case Study
October 24th, 2024
Growing interest in how courts impose and enforce payment of court-ordered fines and fees and manage the release of individuals awaiting trial has prompted a renewed focus on fines, fees, and pretrial practices.
Recently, the Conference of Chief Justices and Conference of State Court Administrators renewed the National Task Force on Fines, Fees, and Pretrial Practices to create a resource center and share information about how various jurisdictions approach fines, fees, and pretrial release.
Join us to learn how Illinois judges are adopting these principles to change their pretrial processes and discover what challenges and successes they’ve experienced to date.
Moderator:
- Hon. Elizabeth Clement, Chief Justice, Michigan Supreme Court
Panelists:
- Presiding Judge Mary Marubio, Pretrial Division, Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois
- Hon. Debra D. Schafer, 17th Judicial Circuit Court, Rockford, Illinois
For more information, email Laina Combest-Friedman.
View detailsWebinar: Family-Centered Fridays - Improving Family Court Forms
October 25th, 2024
Access to justice is a key principle of Family-Centered Justice. During this Family-Centered Fridays webinar, learn how courts
are expanding access to justice for families by improving family court forms.
Alisa Kim from NCSC’s Forms Camp (focused on family court forms) and Leora Hoshall from Equal Justice Wyoming will discuss what they have learned so far and share examples of how they are using best practices in plain language, form design, user testing, and form accessibility.
Moderator:
- Marie Contreras, Court Management Consultant, National Center for State Courts
Presenters:
- Leora Hoshall, VISTA Supervisor, Wyoming Judicial Branch
- Alisa Kim, Court Management Consultant, National Center for State Courts
If you have any questions or require an interpreter, please email Conor Geiger.
View detailsWebinar: Jury Service and Financial Fairness - A Conversation on Juror Compensation Reform
October 30th, 2024
Join us for a sneak preview screening of Judging Juries, a documentary that explores how financial hardship affects the ability of citizens, especially lower-income people, to serve as trial and grand jurors and the resulting impact on the diversity of jury pools.
This insightful film by Peabody Award-winning director Abby Ginzberg will be followed by a panel of state court and business community experts who will discuss different approaches to increase juror compensation and the practical implications of those methods.
Who should attend:
- Judicial and court policymakers
- Jury commissioners and jury management staff
- Legal professionals and trial consultants
- Anyone interested in modernizing and improving the jury selection process
Moderator:
- Paula Hannaford-Agor | Director of the Center for Jury Studies, National Center for State Courts
Panelists:
- Hilary Crow | Vice President, Civics, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
- Sally Holewa | State Court Administrator, North Dakota
- Teri Munn | Senior Court Policy Analyst, AOC, Arizona Supreme Court
- Stephen Tow | Senior Analyst, Jury Improvement Program Lead Staff, Judicial Council of California
For more information, email Laney Snyder.
View details