Brenda Aiken is the Language Services Coordinator for the Alaska Court System. She has an undergraduate degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in nonprofit administration. In 2007, Brenda was appointed by the Alaska Court System’s administrative director to serve on the Alaska Language Interpreter Center’s organizational committee and remains the principal contact between the court system and the Center. From 2008-2012, she served on the executive committee of the Consortium for Language Access in the Courts. She has lived in Alaska since 1976 and has had the opportunity to visit many Alaska cities, towns, and villages. Workshop: Collaborative Approaches
Osvaldo Aviles was appointed in October of 2004 by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania as the Interpreter Program Administrator at the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC). He is responsible for creating a statewide interpreter certification program. He is also Pennsylvania’s representative to the National Center for State Court's Consortium for Language Access in the Courts. Prior to assuming his present position, he worked for 14 years as a staff Spanish interpreter for the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania, Family Court Division. He has twenty-four years of interpreting experience having obtained his certification in 1995 from the New Jersey AOC Language Services Office. In 2001 he was appointed a member of the Supreme Court's Committee on Racial and Gender Bias in the Justice System, which made recommendations to the court for improving equal access to justice for individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP). Mr. Avilés holds a master’s degree in Political Science from Princeton University and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Puerto Rico. Workshop: Training Interpreters
J. Joseph Baxter Jr., has been State Court Administrator for the Supreme Court of Rhode Island since 2004. Prior to assuming this position, Mr. Baxter served as Assistant State Court Administrator for the Supreme Court of Rhode Island from 2001 – 2004. Previously, Mr. Baxter also held several positions with the Rhode Island Family Court, including Court Administrator (1999-2001), Assistant Administrator (1998-1999), Principle Supervisory Clerk (1996-1998), Intake Supervisor (1993-1996), and Assistant Clerk (1983-1993). He received his Masters in Public Administration from the University of Rhode Island in 1992 and his Bachelor of Arts Degree, Pre-law, from Pennsylvania State University in 1983. He received a Divorce Mediation Certificate from Roger Williams University in 1995, and is a recipient of a certificate in Effective Caseflow Management from the National Judicial College in 1996. Mr. Baxter was appointed Chair of the Rhode Island Supreme Court Language Access Committee in 2012. Roundtable: Strengthening a Language Access Plan
Daniel Becker has served as State Court Administrator at the Administrative Office of the Courts for the State of Utah since 1995. In that capacity, he is responsible to the Utah Supreme Court and Utah Judicial Council for the administration of the state court system. From 1984 to 1995, Mr. Becker worked for the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts serving in the positions of: Deputy Director (1993-1995); Court Services Administrator (1986-1993); and Assistant to the Director (1984-1986). He also held the position of Trial Court Administrator for the Fourteenth Judicial District of North Carolina, and Assistant Director of Operations for the Georgia Administrative Office of the Courts. Mr. Becker was the recipient of the 2006 Warren E. Burger Award for Excellence in Judicial Administration. He holds a B.A. and M.P.A. from Florida Atlantic University. Workshop: Funding and Authorization for Interpreter Programs
Matthew Benefiel is currently the Trial Court Administrator for the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, which covers both Orange and Osceola Counties and has served in that capacity since 1996. Prior to serving for the Orlando-based Circuit, Matt served eight years as the Court Administrator for the Virginia Beach, Virginia Circuit Court. As Court Administrator, Matt is responsible for the Court’s progressive implementation of advanced court technology. The Ninth Circuit has been a leader in the development and implementation of virtual remote interpretation. He has earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of Maryland and a Master’s Degree in Judicial Administration from the University of Southern California. Workshop: Collaborative Approaches
Janica Bisharat serves as the Director of the Court Management Division for the Idaho Administrative Office of the Courts. She has worked in the Idaho courts in various capacities since 1993. From 2001-2004, Janica also worked as an Education Program Coordinator for the Utah Administrative Office of the Courts where she was responsible for planning and coordinating education programs for approximately 1,200 court employees. Janica holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Utah and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration with an emphasis in Courts and Law from Boise State University. Workshop: Managing Interpreter Staff and Contractors
Katie Bond, an Assistant General Counsel at the Texas Office of Court Administration, has been a licensed attorney since 1977 with experience in both state government and private practice. She is OCA’s Language Access Coordinator and has also been involved in OCA’s collaboration with other organizations on a statewide effort to improve the access of self-represented litigants to the court system. She has also provided legal support to two licensing boards that are attached to OCA – the Guardianship Certification Board and the Court Reporters Certification Board. For nearly 20 years, Katie was in private practice concentrating primarily on administrative and public law. Prior to that, she worked in the Texas Attorney General’s Antitrust Division and the Texas Department of Agriculture. Katie is also a volunteer mediator, with experience in community mediations at the local dispute resolution center and county juvenile facility and victim-offender mediations in the state prison system. Workshop: Managing Interpreter Staff and Contractors
David K. Boyd has over 35 years of judicial administration experience and currently serves as the State Court Administrator for Iowa. Prior to his appointment as State Court Administrator, Mr. Boyd served nineteen (19) years as Deputy State Court Administrator and seven (7) years as a Trial Court Administrator. Currently, as Vice-President of the Conference of State Court Administrators, he serves on the Board of Directors of the National Center for State Courts and the Conference of State Court Administrators. Mr. Boyd graduated from the College of Idaho, received his master’s degree from the University of Arizona, and attended the Institute for Court Management. Workshop: Developing Interpreter Resources and Credentialing Program
Sandra Bryan began her career as a Spanish court interpreter in 1983, in Brooklyn Family Court. In the mid-1990's, she was promoted to Senior Court Interpreter of the Queens County Supreme Court, where she acted as supervisor of all interpreters. While working there she attended law school at night and received a JD from St. Johns University School of Law in 1998 to compliment her BS is in Speech Pathology from the City University of New York. In 2001, she was promoted to Coordinator, Court Interpreting Services (CIS) for the NYS Unified Court System. Workshop: Managing Interpreter Staff and Contractors
Michael Buenger currently works as a Senior Counsel at the National Center for State Courts working with the Government Affairs Office and NCSC’s International Division. His has previously held positions as a senior rule of law advisor in Kosovo, as State Court Administrator for Missouri, and as State Court Administrator for South Dakota. Mr. Buenger holds a JD, with honors, from St. Louis University School of Law and recently completed an LLM in public international law at the Brussels School of International Studies. He has published widely on state court matters, including a forthcoming article in the University of Kentucky Law Journal entitled “Do we have 18th Century Courts for the 21st Century?” Mr. Buenger resides in Brussels, Belgium where his wife Caroline serves has a U.S. Foreign Services Officer assigned to the United States Mission to the European Union. Plenary Session: Understanding the Legal Context
Carmel Capati is Manager for the Court Interpreter Program with the Wisconsin Director of State Courts and serves as staff for the Committee to Improve Interpreting and Translation in the Wisconsin Courts. Since taking this position in 2003, she has given numerous presentations to judges, clerks, court staff, attorneys and other agencies on the requirements of state and federal laws regarding language access in the courts. Ms. Capati earned her undergraduate degree from Marquette University in 1988 and later, after serving in the Peace Corps in Liberia and working in the non-profit sector, obtained a M.A. with distinction in Southeast Asian Studies and a J.D. from UW-Madison. For four years prior to working with the Director of State Courts, Ms. Capati managed a CASA program working with abused and neglected children. Born in the Philippines, Ms. Capati grew up in a trilingual household. Workshop: Training Judges and Court Personnel
F. Philip Carbullido, a native of Guam, was appointed to the Supreme Court of Guam in 2000 and was elected by his peers to serve a third term as Chief Justice on January 18, 2011. Chief Justice Carbullido currently serves as President of the Pacific Judicial Council (PJC), which consists of the Chief Justices of Guam, CNMI, Palau, the Federated State of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Territory of American Samoa. He previously chaired the Education Committee of the PJC, which provides training for judicial officers and administrators throughout Micronesia. Chief Justice Carbullido is also a board member of the Conference of Chief Justices. Chief Justice Carbullido practiced law in Guam for 22 years before his appointment to the Guam Supreme Court. Chief Justice Carbullido was the former legal counsel to the A.B. Won Pat Guam International Airport Authority, University of Guam, Port Authority to Guam, and Guam Preservation Trust. He was also parliamentarian and legislative counsel to the 17th Guam Legislature and legal counsel to the Committee on Health, Ecology and Welfare of the 21st and 22nd Guam Legislature as well as the Committee on Tourism and Transportation in the 22nd and 23rd Guam Legislature. Chief Justice Carbullido served as a board member of the Guam Finance Commission. He received his Bachelor of Science degree (Political Science) from the University of Oregon in 1976, and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law, in 1978. Workshop: Training Judges and Court Personnel
Audrey J.S. Carrion was appointed Associate Judge of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City on November 10, 1999. In November, 2003, Judge Carrion became the Judge in Charge of the Family Division – Domestic until December 2009. From January 11, 1996 to November 9, 1999, Judge Carrion was an Associate Judge of the District Court of Maryland. She is a Fellow of the Maryland Bar Foundation and the Baltimore City Bar Association Foundation. She has been a member of the Maryland Hispanic Bar Association since 1993, as well as a member at large from 1994 to 1999. From 1992 to 1998 she was a volunteer with the East Baltimore Latino Organization, and from 1995 to 1998 she was a member of the Mayor’s Committee on Hispanic Affairs. She was a member of the University of Baltimore School of Law Advisory Council from 2000 to 2008 and a member of the Board of the Caroline Center from 2005 to 2011. She currently sits on the State Advisory Board for Juvenile Services. Judge Carrion is the Chair of the Judiciary’s Committee on Court Interpretation and Translation Services and was assigned in 2010 to the Business and Technology Case Management Program. She is the recipient of several awards which include: 2012 EBLO Jose Ruiz Achievement Award; 2011 The Daily Record Leadership in Law Award; 2011 The Maryland Hispanic Bar Association Outstanding Achievement Award; 2010 Women’s Law Center – Rosalyn B. Bell Award; 2008 Excellence in Leadership Award, University of Baltimore, Women’s Bar Association; Maryland’s Top 100 Women for 2000 and 2003, The Daily Record; the 1998 Alumna of the Year Award, University of Baltimore School of Law; 1998 Presidential Award, Bar Association for Baltimore City; and the 1993-94 Award of Achievement, Bar Association of Baltimore City, Young Lawyer’s Division. Workshop: Providing Services Outside of the Courtroom
Thomas M. Clarke has worked in federal and state government positions for the last twenty years as a researcher, applied statistician and technology manager. He also has academic and international justice consulting experience. For the last nine years, Tom worked in the court community as a researcher, state court CIO and now as the Research and Technology Vice President at the National Center for State Courts. In recent years, he has represented the courts on several national technical standards committees and Washington State IT governance and architecture committees. Tom has a strong interest in the use of open national standards, enterprise architecture and service-oriented architectures and their contribution to the solution of significant justice business problems. Plenary Session: Components of a Language Access Plan
Sheryl Connolly had extensive experience in both rural and metropolitan courts in Nebraska before joining the Administrative Office of the Courts and Probation as Trial Court Services Director. Her position makes her the one-woman liaison between the trial courts in Nebraska's 93 counties and the Administrative Office. She is responsible for managing interpreters, developing procedures manuals and forms, working as records manager for the branch, and ensuring the courts have the all tools they need to provide access to Justice in their communities. She also identifies training needs for court employees and does extensive training at seminars and via webinars on a wide variety of topics. Sheryl has a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Nebraska Lincoln, and 25 + years of experience in Nebraska Courts both urban and rural. Her breadth of experience helps her to deal with the unique challenges of providing Court services to both Nebraska's burgeoning urban centers and rural counties with declining populations. Plenary Session: Components of a Language Access Plan
John A. Damon is the Circuit Court Judge for Trempealeau County, Wisconsin where he was first elected in 1995. He is also Deputy Chief Judge of the Seventh Judicial District of Wisconsin and a member of both the Wisconsin Court Interpreter Committee and the Wisconsin Criminal Jury Instruction Committee. He previously practiced with Kostner, Ward & Koslo in Osseo, Wisconsin. He received his undergraduate degree from Macalester College and law degree from Marquette University. Workshop: Training Judges and Court Personnel
Joseph D'Alesio has worked for the Judicial Branch for over 35 years. As Executive Director, Superior Court Operations he manages the various clerks’ offices throughout the state, the Support Enforcement Unit, the Office of Victim Services, Judge Support Services, Law Libraries, Judicial Performance Evaluation Program, Legal Services, Statewide Grievance Committee, Bar Examining Committee, the Centralized Infractions Bureau, Jury Administration, Court Reporters and Monitors, Court Interpreters, Seized Property, courthouse maintenance and the Judicial Branch’s Records Center. In addition, he serves as Executive Secretary of the Judicial Branch. He is a recipient of the Governor’s Service Award and a member of the Connecticut State Bar. He is a graduate of Fairfield University and also holds a JD from John Marshall Law School. Workshop: Data Collection and Analysis
Paul DeLosh has been the Director of the Department of Judicial Services for the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES) of the Supreme Court of Virginia since 2004. He first came to OES in 1991 where he served in the Department of Information Technology as well as the Department of Technical Assistance. The Department of Judicial Services (DJS) serves as the liaison between the Judiciary’s administrative offices and the courts throughout Virginia, providing administrative services through publications, trainings, field visits, and the research and support of various programs. The Department serves 320 courts, 300 certified mediators, 150 certified interpreters and over 400 magistrates within the Commonwealth of Virginia through its seven divisions: Foreign Language Services, Court Services (Circuit, General District and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court), Dispute Resolution Services, Drug Treatment Court Services, and Magistrate Services. Paul attended Boston College and Virginia Commonwealth University. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration; a Master’s of Science in Leadership; and is a Certified Court Manager (CCM) and certified faculty member for the Institute for Court Management. He has served on the National Association for Court Management (NACM) Board serving as chair of the Membership Services committee, Ethics committee, and Grants subcommittee. He currently serves as the Communications Committee co-chair for the Mid-Atlantic Association for Court Management (MAACM). Plenary Session: Components of a Language Access Plan
Vanessa Mullins Dickson has served as Chief District Judge for Bourbon, Scott, and Woodford Counties in Paris, Kentucky for the past ten years. She is a graduate of Duke University (1979) and the U.K. College of Law (1982). She began her legal career as a prosecutor for environmental violations, and then joined the law firm of Wyatt, Tarrant and Combs, where she was elected to partnership and practiced for ten years. She then served as an Environmental Hearing Officer from 1994 until 2002, when she was elected District Judge. Judge Dickson serves on Kentucky’s Judicial Education Commission, and is Vice President of the Judicial Education Committee, responsible for planning and carrying out training for District Judges statewide. She has taught a wide variety of topics, including Ethics, Managing Judicial Stress, Principles of Interpreting, Media and the Courts, Guardianship, Bail and Pretrial, and Managing Busy Dockets. She was elected by her peers as Vice President of the Kentucky District Judges Association, and was appointed as a Mentor Judge to newly elected judges in her region. Plenary Session: Components of a Language Access Plan
Ervin Dimeny is the Manger of the Court Interpreting Services within the Department of Court Services at the Administrative Office of the Courts. Ervin is an ethnic Hungarian who was born and raised in Transylvania, the north-western region of Romania. In 1989 while the country was still under the rule of the communist regime, he defected to Hungary where he attended college. He studied theology and ancient languages and received a B.Th. from the Hungarian Baptist Theological Seminary in 1995. During his time in college, he also lived and studied in Germany, organizing humanitarian and medical aid for hospitals and churches in Romania. He immigrated to the United States in 1995 and became a U.S. Citizen in 1999. Ervin lives in Louisville, Kentucky with his wife Melissa and son Thomas. They moved to Louisville in to pursue further academic studies. In 1997 Ervin received a M.Div. degree from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and earned a J.D. from the University of Louisville, Brandeis School of Law in 2006. Plenary Session: Components of a Language Access Plan and Workshop: Planning for Technology Projects
Nancy Dixon, the Judicial Administrator for the State of Kansas, practiced law both in the private practice setting and in corporations for over 25 years. Her areas of expertise included environmental, employment, contracts, finance, and regulatory, and she worked for clients in many industries including pharmaceutical, medical device, finance, appliances, automotive and aerospace, in the United States and Europe. Nancy’s experience also includes working in business roles in process improvement and ethics and compliance. She earned a political science degree from the University of Wisconsin, a JD from the University of Kansas, and has also obtained Lean Six Sigma black belt certification. In her administrator role, Nancy especially enjoys improving organizational effectiveness. Workshop: Data Collection and Analysis
Laura Dolgin has held the position of Programs Manager for the Division of Court Improvement and Innovation for the State of Vermont Judiciary since 2010. Part of her responsibilities is the Court Interpreter Program. Laura joined the Judiciary in 2004 as the Superior Court Clerk and Family Court Manager in Orleans County, Newport, Vt. Newport is situated in an area of Vermont known as North East Kingdom, a rural and pristine area of Vermont found on the Canadian border. Laura was educated at Lyndon State College, attended the Snelling Center for Government’s Vermont Leadership Institute, and received her Masters of Science in Organization and Management from Antioch New England Graduate School. She has spent her career working in positions that impacted her community, including non-profits, community organizing, a short stint self-employed, state government, and is currently a member of her town’s governance. Workshop: Developing Interpreter Resources and Credentialing Program
Laurie K. Dudgeon was appointed Director of the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) in July 2009. Beginning in 2007, Ms. Dudgeon was named Deputy Director of the AOC. Ms. Dudgeon came to the AOC after serving as Executive Director of the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy. She assumed that position by gubernatorial appointment in 2006. Her experience with state government began in 2005 when she joined the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet as a staff attorney. Prior to her work with the Justice Cabinet, she spent nine years in private practice where she concentrated on constitutional law, employment law, administrative law, and commercial and residential real estate law. During that time she practiced with Hazelrigg & Cox of Frankfort, Ky., Walther, Roark, Gay & Todd of Lexington, Ky., and Nelson, Mullins, Riley & Scarborough of Columbia, S.C. She graduated with a Bachelor's degree in history from the University of Kentucky in 1991 and a JD from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1994. In 2007, Ms. Dudgeon received the Secretary’s Award for Superior Performance from the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, the Commissioner’s Second Chance Team Award from the Kentucky Department of Corrections and the Service Award Recognition for Drug Enforcement Efforts in the Commonwealth from the Kentucky Narcotics Officers Association. Workshop: Planning for Technology Projects
Dina Fein serves as the First Justice of the Western Division of the Massachusetts Housing Court, which she joined in 1999. In 2009, she was appointed Special Advisor for Access to Justice Initiatives across the state’s seven Trial Court departments. She has served as a member of the Supreme Judicial Court’s Access to Justice Commission since 2005 and is an Adjunct Professor at Western New England College School of Law focusing on access to justice issues. Judge Fein was selected to participate in the Judicial Resource Project of the SJC Working Group on Professional Development and serves as a trustee of the Flaschner Judicial Institute. She chairs the statewide Steering Committee of the Tenancy Preservation Program and serves on the Executive Committee of the Massachusetts Judges Conference. She also serves as a fellow of the Massachusetts Bar Foundation and previously served on the MBA’s Judicial Administration Section Council and the Judicial Evaluation Standing Committee. Before joining the bench Judge Fein spent 14 years doing civil litigation in private practice in Springfield, Mass., and began her legal career as a staff attorney at the Atlanta Legal Aid Society. She received her JD and Bachelor’s degrees from Emory University in Atlanta. Workshop: Translation of Documents
Travis L. Francis has been the Assignment Judge of Middlesex County New Jersey since 1992. Prior to his appointment, Judge Francis was a private practitioner in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Judge Francis has served as member of numerous groups including the Supreme Court Committee on Minority Concerns, Supreme Court Civil Practice Committee, the Supreme Court Capital Punishment Advisory Committee, the Supreme Court Special Committee on Preemptory Challenges and Jury Voir Dire. Judge Francis also serves as Chair of the Subcommittee on Juvenile justice and the Family, Chair of the Conference of Wiretap and Communication Data Warrant Judges, and is Vice-Chair of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Outside Activities of Judicial Employees. Judge Francis is an adjunct professor at of the Rutgers School of Law, and has presided over moot court competitions for Rutgers University Law School, Seton Hall Law School, the New Jersey State Bar Association, and Widener University Law School. He has a Bachelor’s degree from Bradley University, a Master’s of Education from North Carolina State University, and a JD
from Rutgers University School of Law in Newark in 1981. Workshop: Developing Interpreter Resources and Credentialing Program
Rosalyn W. Frierson was appointed Director of South Carolina Court Administration by the South Carolina Supreme Court in 1998. Ms. Frierson is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, School of Law and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of South Carolina. She previously served as a S.C. Supreme Court Staff Attorney, Law Clerk to former Chief Justice Ernest Finney, Jr. and Research/Budget Analyst for the Ways and Means Committee of the S. C. House of Representatives. She also served as a legal writing instructor at the USC School of Law. Ms. Frierson is a member of the S.C. Bar Association, S.C. Bar House of Delegates, American Bar Association, ABA House of Delegates, and Richland County Bar Association. She served as President of the Conference of State Court Administrators and served as Vice-Chair of the National Center for State Courts from August 2011 to August 2012. She is chair of the COSCA Court Children and Families Committee. She is Past President of the S.C. Women Lawyer’s Association. She is also a member of the S. C. Access to Justice Commission, Commission on Alternative Dispute Resolution, S.C. Lawyer Magazine Editorial Board, Palmetto Health Board of Directors and Palmetto Health Richland Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees and is immediate Past President of the Columbia (SC) Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Ms. Frierson participated in the three year Executive Session for State Court Leaders in the 21st Century at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She is a graduate of the Furman Diversity Leadership Institute and the S.C. Executive Institute. She received the Richland County Bar Association Civic Star Award in 2002.
Gaye Gentes is the Manager of the Office of Court Interpreters for The Trial Court of Massachusetts. Since 2001 she has had overall supervision of a statewide program for the provision of interpreters to the court system. Before that she was Director of Interpreter Services at Tufts New England Medical Center. She has a background as a Spanish interpreter and grew up in Mexico. Workshop: Translation of Documents
Thomas A. Genung, Esq., Trial Court Administrator for the 19th Judicial Circuit, received his Bachelor of Science degree in forestry from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1984. He received his Juris Doctorate from the City University of New York Law School in 1989. Mr. Genung has been a member of The Florida Bar since 1989. He has been trained as a mediator and as a peacemaker. He has made a career of working in the public interest, including: The Connection offender re-entry program, Legal Services of Connecticut, 15th Judicial Circuit Public Defender, Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, 17th Judicial Circuit Court, and the 19th Judicial Circuit Court. Mr. Genung has 19 years of experience with the administrative offices of the court in Florida. Mr. Genung has served on the Supreme Court’s Standing Committee on Fairness and Diversity, the Steering Committee on FCC and its prior permutations, Trial Court Budget Commission, Court Interpreter Board, and the Florida Courts Technology Commission, as well as involvement in various subcommittees. Workshop: Data Collection and Analysis
J.D. Gingerich currently serves as the Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts, having first been appointed to the position by the Arkansas Supreme Court in 1988. In his position he is responsible for the operation and administration of the state court system and also serves as the secretary/treasurer of the Arkansas Judicial Council. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Center for State Courts and is a Past President of the Conference of State Court Administrators. He received an undergraduate degree from the University of Central Arkansas in 1977, a law degree from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in 1980, and a degree in International Law from the University of Bristol, England in 1982. He is the author of numerous articles published in legal and court administration journals and is particularly interested in the issues of judicial selection, court funding, and access to the court system. Workshop: Management of Remote Interpreting Technology
Patricia Walther Griffin has served as the State Court Administrator for Delaware since 2005. She previously was Chief Magistrate of the Justice of the Peace Court for the State of Delaware from 1993 through 2005; an Associate with the firm of Griffin & Hackett, P.A. in Georgetown, Delaware; Senior Staff Attorney and Staff Attorney, Article III Judges Division and Defender Services Division, Administrative Office of the United States Courts in Washington, D.C.; Assistant Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs, University of North Carolina School of Law; Assistant Dean, Washington and Lee University School of Law; and Staff Attorney, National Labor Relations Board, in Washington, D.C. She is a member of both the Delaware and Pennsylvania Bars and served as co-chair of the Delaware Supreme Court’s Delaware Courts: Fairness for All initiative. She also served on the Board of Directors of the Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA) (2009 – 2012), and currently serves as co-chair of the Access, Fairness, and Public Trust Joint Committee of the Conference of Chief Justices and COSCA, and as chair of COSCA’s Language Access Advisory Committee. She has authored or co-authored several articles, including Court Interpretation: Fundamental to Access to Justice (COSCA’s 2007 position paper); Beyond State v. Diaz: How to Interpret “Access to Justice” for Non-English Speaking Defendants, 5 Delaware Law Review, No. 2, 131 (2002); and A Look at Judicial Immunity and Its Applicability to Delaware and Pennsylvania Judges, 6 Widener Journal of Public Law 385 (1997). Honors include: “Mission” Award from the Consortium for Language Access in the Courts (2011); Hall of Fame for Delaware Women (2005), Person of the Year by the International Association for Truancy and Dropout Prevention (2004), and the Chief Justice’s Outstanding Judicial Service Award (1998). She received a B.A. degree, cum laude, with an economics major, from Duke University in 1979, and a J.D. degree from Washington and Lee University School of Law in 1983. Plenary Session: Components of a Language Access Plan and Roundtable: Strengthening a Language Access Plan
James Hannah took office as Chief Justice of Arkansas, on January 1, 2005. He successfully ran state-wide contested elections for Chief Justice (2004) and in Associate Justice position no. 5 (2000). He serves on the U.S. Supreme Court Judicial Conference Committee on Federal-State Jurisdiction and as Chairman of the State Judicial Institute (SJI). He serves on the Arkansas Supreme Court Committees for Access to Justice, Client Security Fund, Technology, Child Support, and District Court Resources Board. He chairs the Drug Court Advisory Committee. He is a current member of the Arkansas Bar Association and received his JD from the University of Arkansas School of Law and Bachelor’s from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Workshop: Collaborative Approaches
Sally Holewa is the North Dakota State Court Administrator. Prior to that appointment she served as the Unit Three trial court administrator for the south central and southwestern judicial districts of North Dakota, as Deputy Court Administrator for the Ingham County Circuit Court (Lansing, Michigan), the Polk County Court Administrator (Crookston, Minnesota), and Deputy Court Administrator for the Benton County District Court (Foley, Minnesota). She holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration from the University of North Dakota, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from St. Cloud State University. She is a Fellow of the Institute for Court Management, a member of the American Society of Public Administrators, the Conference of State Court Administrators, and the National Association of Court Managers. She is currently serving as a member of the Board of Directors of the Conference of State Court Administrators. Workshop: Translation of Documents
Wallace Jefferson was appointed Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court on September 14, 2004, by Gov. Rick Perry. He succeeded former Chief Justice Thomas R. Phillips as the 26th Chief Justice in Texas. Governor Perry first appointed Jefferson to the Court in March 2001. He was elected in November 2002 before becoming Chief Justice in 2004. His appointment as Chief Justice was confirmed unanimously by the Texas Senate on March 9, 2005. He was elected Chief Justice in 2006 and re-elected to a full term in 2008. His term ends December 31, 2014. Chief Justice Jefferson was installed in July 2010 as President of the Conference of Chief Justices, an association of chief justices from the 50 states and U.S. territories. As president, Chief Justice Jefferson is also Chair of the National Center for State Courts board of directors, a policy and resource organization in Williamsburg, Va. Jefferson joined the Court from private practice in San Antonio. As a partner in the appellate specialty firm Crofts, Callaway & Jefferson, he successfully argued two cases before the United States Supreme Court. He is a graduate of the James Madison College at Michigan State University and the University of Texas School of Law. Chief Justice Jefferson is a member of the American Law Institute and is certified in civil appellate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He was San Antonio Bar Association president in 1998-99 and was the San Antonio Young Lawyers Association's Outstanding Young Lawyer in 1997. He received the "Pillars of the Foundation" award by the North Side Independent School District and is the namesake for the Wallace B. Jefferson Middle School in San Antonio. He has served as a director of the San Antonio Public Library Foundation, of the Alamo Area Big Brothers/Big Sisters and on the education committee of the San Antonio Area Foundation.
Katrin Johnson is the Court Interpreter Program Coordinator for the Washington State Administrative Office for the Courts (AOC). She oversees interpreter testing and training, staffs the Interpreter Commission, and provides assistance to courts statewide on interpreter matters. Before joining the AOC, she was the Coordinator for Minnesota’s Court Interpreter Program. Previously, Ms. Johnson was a practicing and managing attorney with the Minnesota’s Seventh District Public Defender’s Office. Ms. Johnson is a licensed attorney in Minnesota and Washington. She earned her Law Degree and a Masters in Public Administration from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Workshop: Planning for Technology Projects
Lilia G. Judson was appointed as Executive Director of the Indiana Supreme Court Division of State Court Administration in 1998 after she served as Acting Executive Director, Director, and Assistant Director of the Division. Before joining the Supreme Court staff, she was Executive Secretary of the Indiana Judicial Study Commission, Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications, and the Judicial Nominating Commission. She serves as the Executive Secretary of the Indiana Supreme Court Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure and is on the Judicial Technology and Automation Committee (JTAC). On the national level, she was the 2010/2011 President of the Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA) and Vice Chair of the National Center for State Courts Board of Directors. She serves as COSCA’s liaison to the Council of State Governments (CSG) and is a member of the CSG Executive Committee and Governing Board. She is admitted to the Indiana and Federal Bars and is a member of the American, Indianapolis, and Indiana Bar Associations, where she serves on several committees. She received a BA in political science and JD from Indiana University. Workshop: Funding and Authorization for Interpreter Programs
Maria Araujo Kahn is currently assigned to the Fairfield Judicial District in Bridgeport, Connecticut where she hears criminal matters. Prior to her appointment to the Superior Court in 2006, she was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in New Haven, Connecticut. As a federal prosecutor, Judge Kahn was responsible for complex white collar investigations and prosecutions, both civil and criminal, in the areas of health care fraud, bank fraud, bankruptcy fraud and trade secrets. Over the years Judge Kahn has been honored on several occasions with awards including: Department of Justice Special Achievement Awards in 1998 to 2005 and Department of Health and Human Services, OIG, Integrity Awards. Judge Kahn was born and raised in Angola, Africa. She emigrated to the United States at ten years of age and is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish. She is a graduate of New York University and received her JD from Fordham University School of Law in 1989. Following law school, she served as law clerk to the Honorable Peter C. Dorsey, United States District Court Judge for the District of Connecticut. Judge Kahn is a member of the Judges’ Education Committee and the Curriculum Sub Committee and has taught several courses at the Connecticut Judges’ Institute. Judge Kahn currently serves as co-chair of the Limited English Proficiency (“LEP”) Committee, which was implemented by Chief Justice Rogers as part of the Public Service and Trust Commission. The charge of the LEP Committee is to eliminate barriers to facilities, processes and information that are faced by individuals with Limited English Proficiency. Plenary Session: Components of a Language Access Plan
Andrea Krlickova has been the Program Manager for the Certified Court Interpreter Program in the State of Nevada since June 2007. Her current responsibilities include the development of court interpreter policies and procedures, and monitoring of interpreter compliance. She coordinates and provides training on the use of foreign language interpreters, and ethics, and regularly updates a Court Interpreter Roster. Additionally, she collaborates with staff from federal, state, local and non-profit agencies on various projects that impact the judicial branch. She earned her Master’s degree from the University of P.J. Šafárik Law School in Košice in 1993. After graduation, she worked for a major Slovak pharmaceutical producer, IMUNA, as legal counsel and the public relations manager. She relocated to the USA in 1998. She speaks Slovak, Czech, Spanish, Russian and English. Workshop: Training Judges and Court Personnel
Gregory J. Linhares took office as the State Courts Administrator for the Missouri Supreme Court on April 9, 2008. He previously served as Commission Counsel for Supreme Court of Missouri from 2002 to 2008. He served as Counsel to the Majority Floor Leader of the Missouri House of Representatives from 2001-2002, Legislative Analyst for the Missouri House of Representatives in 2001, and Staff Attorney for the Joint Committee on Legislative Research from 1998-2000. He further served in the JAG Corps for the U.S. Army from 2000-2009. He is a member of the Missouri Bar. Mr. Linhares received his BA from Truman State University in 1994 and his JD from St. Louis University School of Law in 1998. Workshop: Training Interpreters
Emy López, the Administrator of the Office of Language Access for the Colorado Judicial Department, is responsible for the development and implementation of policies and practices relating to language access in Colorado’s state courts. Ms. López also organizes training for interpreters and subsequent certification testing, manages Colorado’s interpreter budget, trains at all levels of the Judicial Branch regarding the role and responsibilities of judges and staff related to language access, and chairs the Colorado Language Access Oversight Committee. Ms. López is a certified Spanish interpreter and translator, and has over 20 years of experience both in Spain and in the United States. She previously worked as Managing Interpreter in Denver District Court, as a freelance medical and legal interpreter, and as a bilingual teacher. Roundtable: Strengthening a Language Access Plan
John A. Martin, Ph.D., Director, Center For Public Policy Studies, Immigration and the State Courts Initiative. Dr. Martin, a planning, policy, and management consultant, is recognized as an innovator in planning, management, performance measurement, and institutional development for courts, justice and human service organizations. Over the past 40 years, he has worked with courts, justice, and human service agencies of all types. He has conducted grant-funded research, provided technical assistance, and taught seminars targeting numerous topics including innovation and systems change, agency and inter-agency planning and management, organizational culture and change management, work process improvement, simplified litigation, alternative dispute resolution, human trafficking, technology applications, cross-cultural interaction, the impacts of immigration in the courts, Latino family violence, performance measurement, evidence-based practices, and executive-legislative-judicial relations. In addition to directing the Immigration and the State Courts Initiative, Martin’s recent projects have included a youth service improvement initiative with the Jefferson County Colorado justice and human service systems, and planning, work process improvement, and performance measurement efforts in the Los Angeles, Maricopa County Arizona, and the Sonoma and Imperial County, California, Superior Courts, and with the Boulder Colorado Police Department. His extensive writings about courts, police, corrections, and human service planning, management, and public policy have been published in handbooks, scholarly books, and dozens of magazines and journals. Dr. Martin also serves on a variety of editorial boards and serves as Senior Faculty with the Institute For Court Management. Dr. Martin received a Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Public Affairs of the University of Colorado, an M.A. in Political Science from the University of Colorado, and a B.A. in Political Science and History from Fort Lewis College. He also has had extensive mediation training from CDR Associates. Workshop: Addressing the Immigration Status, Culture, and Language Connections in Planning
Mindy Masias After receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Metropolitan State College of Denver, Mindy began her career in Human Resources in 1989. Since then, she has obtained a higher education degree from the University Of Denver College Of Law, complimenting her Human Resources career. Mindy Masias currently serves as the Human Resources Director for the Colorado Judicial Department and serves a Professor of Human Resources Management at the University Of Denver College Of Law. Among her other responsibilities has recently served as an expatriate working on projects such as the Bulgarian Supreme Court Reform project and the Separation of Powers Program for the Republic of Serbia. Plenary Session: Components of a Language Access Plan
Jonathan D. Mattiello was appointed as the Executive Director of the State Justice Institute (SJI) in 2010, after serving three years as Deputy Director. SJI was established by federal law in 1984 to award grants to improve the quality of justice in the state courts. Prior to joining SJI, he served at the U.S. Department of Justice as a Budget Analyst working on resource management issues. Earlier in his career, he served as a Program Analyst at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and also spent a year detailed to the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations.
Patrick R. McDermott, for the past fifteen years, has served as a County Court Judge of the 5th Judicial District, the Court of Special Jurisdiction in the Nebraska system, serving eleven counties in North Central Nebraska. He is a graduate of the Creighton University School of Law in 1974 and served in the Douglas County Public Defender’s Office doing juvenile cases until 1978. From 1978 to 1997, Judge McDermott engaged in the general practice of law and served various counties in Western Nebraska as County Attorney. In late 1997, he was appointed to the county court bench in the 5th District. While serving as a county judge, he returned to the University of Nebraska at Omaha and earned a Master of Public Administration Degree and his capstone project was a pilot project testing whether the use of Skype to provide remote interpreter services to rural courts was viable. The pilot was successful and the system adopted by the Courts of Nebraska. Judge McDermott serves as a member of the following Supreme Court advisory committees: Interpreter Advisory Committee, Automation Advisory Committee, Through the Eyes of the Child Initiative, and is chairman of the Process Re-engineering Committee. He is a member of the Law Advisory Committee of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. Judge McDermott received the 2007 Nebraska Supreme Court Outstanding Judge for service to the Judiciary which is the highest honor given by the Chief Justice to recognize members of the judiciary for meritorious projects and exemplary accomplishments that enhance the vision of justice within Nebraska communities. Plenary Session: Components of a Language Access Plan
Mary Campbell McQueen is President of the National Center for State Courts, having been appointed to that position on August 9, 2004. Previously, McQueen served as Washington State Court Administrator, 1987-2004; Director of Judicial Services, Washington State Office of the Administrator for the Courts, 1979-87; Court Planning Officer, District of Columbia Courts; Planning Coordinator, Kentucky Department of Justice; and Manager, Evaluation Unit, Kentucky Department of Corrections. As an advocate for court and judicial reform, she has served on the Board of Directors of the National Center for State Courts and Conference of State Court Administrators (President-1995-96); Chair, American Bar Association’s Judicial Administration Division (Lawyers Conference); Chair of the Court Management Council; and a member of the Board for Judicial Administration, Judicial Information Systems Committee, Information Services Board, and Board for Court Education and Ethics Advisory Committee. McQueen’s work has received acclaim through numerous awards and honors, including induction into the Warren E. Burger Society of the National Center for State Courts; the American Judicature Society’s Herbert Harley Award in 2004, the joint ABA National Center for State Courts Jury Standards Award, 1989; and the National Center for State Courts Distinguished Service Award, 1991. Her educational achievements include participating in the Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government, John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University; and degrees from the University of Georgia (BA) and Seattle University Law School (JD). She is a member of the U.S. Supreme Court and Washington State Bar Associations.
Rena Micklewright is the Deputy Coordinator of Court Interpreting Services for the New York State Unified Court System (UCS). She joined the courts in 1998, assisting the Continuing Legal Education Board with implementation of the newly created CLE requirement for attorneys and program providers. During her career with the UCS Office of Court Administration, Rena has held supervisory positions in Attorney Registration and Administrative Services, and she worked for several years in the Office of Public Affairs, focusing on community outreach. Since 2006, Rena has been with Court Interpreting Services, and serves as the staff liaison to the UCS Advisory Committee on Court Interpreting. Rena also manages the day-to-day operation of the UCS’ public information line, 1-800-Court-NY, which responds to thousands of calls and inquiries each month. She holds an ABA Certificate in Paralegal Studies, and a BA from Marymount College of Fordham University. Workshop: Management of Remote Interpreting Technology
Kelly Mills has a Master's degree in International Administration from the SIT Graduate Institute in Vermont and a BA from the University of Oregon. She joined the Oregon Judicial Department in 2005 after 9 years leading the office of International Programs and Exchanges at Western Oregon University. Prior to that, she worked as a Cross-Cultural trainer for the Peace Corps Central America (Costa Rica), advised international students at Central Washington University and taught English in Ecuador and Japan. She has been the OJD Court Interpreter Services Program Manager since 2007, supervising interpreting activities in collaboration with administrators and judges in 27 Oregon Judicial Districts and with employees in 4 offices. Kelly manages and provides comprehensive oversight of daily statewide interpreter scheduling for court, the application of interpreter ethics and protocols by court interpreters, the OJD credentialing of court interpreters (122 languages), and strategic planning for statewide linguistic access to justice. Kelly is proficient in Spanish and speaks Japanese. Prior to becoming the Program Manager she worked as an OJD analyst to provide support and training to non-certified interpreters and expanded a mentoring program to improve the quality, ethics and protocol of court interpretation in languages of lesser diffusion. Workshop: Training Interpreters
Carol Mitchell is as a Court Access Specialist in the Court Services Division of the Administrative Office of the Courts. She works on issues related to access to justice and involvement by various court customers including crime victims, limited English proficient persons and persons with disabilities. Carol serves as staff to the Commission on Victims in the Courts and also staffed the Appellate CourTools Committee. Carol brings over 20 years of experience in criminal justice and public administration and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Justice Studies and a Master’s in Public Administration from Arizona State University. Workshop: Planning for Technology Projects
Marla S. Moore was appointed by the Judicial Council of Georgia to serve as the Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts beginning August 1, 2009. Prior to this appointment she served at the AOC and the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. She has been active in efforts to identify gender, racial, ethnic and economic barriers to justice in the courts of Georgia. She currently serves on the Next Generation Courts Committee chairing the Business Process Improvement Committee; Criminal Justice Coordinating Council; Board of Trustees of the Institute of Continuing Judicial Education; Bench and Bar Committee; and Board of Trustees of Emory University Visitors. She is a founding member and Immediate-Past President of the Georgia Council of Court Administrators; a member of the Conference of State Court Administrators, the National Association of Court Administration and of the National Association of Women Judges. She has received numerous awards and honors for her service to the court system and the state. Ms. Moore has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in history and a Master of Science Degree in political science from Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas. She is a Fellow of the Institute for Court Management and a graduate of the Judicial Education Leadership Institute, Memphis University. Workshop: Addressing the Immigration Status, Culture, and Language Connections in Planning
Daniel C. Moreno is a judge in the Fourth Judicial District for Hennepin County, Minnesota. He was appointed to this position in 2006 and then elected in 2008 to a full term that expires in January 2015. He is currently assigned to the Criminal Division and has served as the Community Court Team Leader since 2009. Moreno began his legal career in 1988 as a law clerk for the Hennepin County Public Defender's Office. In 1991, he became an assistant public defender in this office. He served in this position until his judicial appointment in 2006. Moreno has been appointed to serve on several judicial committees. He currently serves on the Criminal Committee and previously has served on the Family Court Committee and Equal Justice Committee. Moreno received his BA degree from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1986 and his JD degree from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1990. Moreno is a member of the Minnesota District Judges Association, the Minnesota State Bar Association, the Hennepin County Bar Association, and the Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association. He was a founding member of the Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association and served on the Board of Directors from 1990-2002. Workshop: Management of Remote Interpreting Technology
Rosa Oakes is the Interpreter Program Coordinator for the Utah State Courts. She has been employed by the courts for 18 years, and has spent the last 10 years working specifically with interpreter issues. She is as much involved with interpreter training and testing as ensuring efficient processes for bringing credentialed interpreters into Utah courtrooms across the state. Rosa is a staff member to the Court Interpreter Committee and is currently working with the NCSC Remote Interpreting Project Committee. Workshop: Management of Remote Interpreting Technology
Michele Oken is an Administrator for the Los Angeles Superior Court responsible for the administration of all clerical units (150 employees) in the Central Civil Division at the main courthouse in downtown Los Angeles. From 2006-2011, she was the Administrator for the Interpreter Services Division and managed the assignment and supervision of more than 400 court interpreter employees and contractors in approximately 100 languages in 45 court locations. Prior to that assignment, she assisted in the management of 650 court reporters, assignments and transcript services. From 1981-2001, Michele served as an official court reporter for both Municipal and Superior Courts in Los Angeles County. Workshop: Managing Interpreter Staff and Contractors
Robert S. Peck is President of the Center for Constitutional Litigation, P.C., a Washington, D.C. law firm devoted to appellate practice. Mr. Peck serves as a member of the adjunct law faculty at American University, where he teaches an advanced constitutional law seminar. He is vice-chair of the Board of Overseers of the RAND Corporation’s Institute for Civil Justice. He is also a member of other prestigious legal organizations, including American Law Institute and the American Bar Foundation. He is a past president of the U.S. Supreme Court Fellows Alumni Association and the Freedom to Read Foundation, and a past national chair of Lawyers for Libraries. He also serves in the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates and on the board of directors of Justice at Stake. Mr. Peck served as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Center for State Courts from 2005 to 2011 and now serves as co-chair of its Lawyers Committee. In 2005, the National Center for State Courts honored him with its Distinguished Service Award. He has also received the New Jersey Association for Justice’s Gold Medal award (2009); the Trial Lawyers of Metropolitan Washington, D.C.’s Champion of Justice Award (2008); the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers. Victor Tipton Award (2002), the American Bar Associations Pursuit of Justice Award (2001), and Trial Lawyers for Public Justice’s Public Justice Achievement Award (2001), the 1988 White House Citation for Public-Private Partnerships, and the U.S. Information Agency’s Award for Outstanding Service (1987). In 1990-91, he served as a U.S. Supreme Court Fellow. His 1987 public television series, We the People, for which he was project director and senior script consultant, won numerous journalism and documentary awards. Plenary Session: Understanding the Legal Context
Artie Pepin is the Director of the New Mexico Administrative Office of the Courts. He assumed his duties on August 14, 2006. As AOC Director, he oversees all aspects of court administration, including case processing, information technology, budgets, human resources, facilities and legislative initiatives. Mr. Pepin serves on the Board of Directors of the Conference of State Court Administrators. Prior to his work at the AOC, he served as Director of the Criminal Appeals Division for New Mexico Attorney General’s Office (2000-2006). Mr. Pepin’s career has included serving as an Assistant Attorney General, New Mexico Attorney General’s Office, in the Appellate Division (1996-2000); as staff attorney for the New Jersey Court of Appeals (1990-1996); as an associate in a law firm in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania focusing on torts and contracts (1988-1990), and as a Captain in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps in Brooklyn, New York (1984-1988). He received his B.S. in Business Administration from Georgetown University in 1981 and his J.D. from the University of Washington in 1984. Workshop: Providing Services Outside of the Courtroom
Andrea C. Peeples is a general division judge on the Franklin County Municipal Court in Franklin County, Ohio. She was elected to the court in 2005. Peeples began her legal career as an intern with the Franklin County Public Defender's Office, then at the Columbus City Prosecutor's Office. In 1995, she became an Assistant Prosecutor for the City of Columbus. She served in that position for three years, until becoming a Staff Attorney in the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office. In 1999, she began serving as counsel in the City of Columbus' Attorney's Office. Peeples worked in this position until her election to the Franklin County Municipal Court in 2005. Peeples received a B.A. degree from Miami University of Ohio in 1991 and her J.D. from the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 1994. Workshop: Translation of Documents
Zig Pines has been Court Administrator of Pennsylvania since 2000. B.A. Wilkes College; J.D., Cleveland-Marshall College of Law; LL.M., University of Pennsylvania School of Law. Prior to being Court Administrator, Zig served as Chief Counsel for the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, Assistant Chief Counsel for the Superior Court of Pennsylvania, taught at Villanova Law School and the University of Pennsylvania, and engaged in the private practice of law. He is the co-chair of CCJ/COSCA Emergency Preparedness and Security committee and serves as the CCJ representative to the Department of Justice Advisory Policy Board. Workshop: Management of Remote Interpreting Technology
Edward C. Prado has been a United States Circuit Judge for the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals since 2003. He previously had been a United States District Court Judge in the Western District of Texas for 19 years. Prior to becoming a Federal Judge he served as United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas. He also served as an Assistant Federal Public Defender in the Western District of Texas and as an assistant District Attorney in Bexar County, Texas. He has served on numerous ABA and Texas Bar committees and has also served on several Judicial Conference of the United States Committees. He is past president of the Fifth Circuit District Judges Association and presently sits on the Executive Board of the Federal Judges Association, as well as the Board of the Federal Judicial Center. Judge Prado is a frequent speaker at Continuing Legal Education programs. He has spoken throughout Latin America at international judicial conferences on numerous topics involving the United States Judicial process. He has received many honors and awards, including: St. Thomas More Award, St. Mary’s University School of Law (2000); Outstanding Alumnus, San Antonio College (1989); LULAC State Award for Excellence (1981); Edgewood I.S.D. Hall of Fame (1981); Achievement Award, U.S. Attorney General (1980); Outstanding Young Lawyer of San Antonio (1980); and Outstanding Federal Public Defender, Western District of Texas (1978). Judge Prado graduated from the University of Texas with a BA in Government and received his JD from the University of Texas School of Law.
Jacquie Ring is a Supervising Court Services Analyst with the California Court Interpreters Program which serves the Judicial Council of California, Administrative Office of the Courts. Jacquie provides oversight and supervision of Court Interpreters Program functions and functional areas, including: statewide outreach to bilingual candidate populations, management of the professional qualification process and compliance for over 1,800 active interpreters, public communication efforts, staff work to support meetings and projects of the Court Interpreters Advisory Panel, programmatic studies and pilots, and legislative advocacy. Prior to her work with the Court Interpreters Program, Jacquie worked in language testing and training with a national language testing firm. Additional work includes teaching and developing language curriculum abroad and in the states, as well as program development for immigrant populations. Jacquie holds a master’s degree in social work and community organization from Hunter College in New York, and a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College. Workshop: Data Collection and Analysis
Bruno Romero is the Program Manager of the Interpreter Services Program at the Supreme Court of Ohio. Romero is responsible for the training and certification of court interpreters. Prior to managing the Interpreter Services Program, Romero was a program manager in the Dispute Resolution Section also at the Supreme Court of Ohio and before that he was a court interpreter in the Sixth Judicial District of the New York State Unified Court System. Workshop: Translation of Documents
Polly Ryan has been a Court Operations Analyst with the Minnesota Judicial Branch since November 2011 and coordinates the Court Interpreter Program and the Psychiatric/Psychological Services Program. Prior to returning to her home State of Minnesota last year, she worked for 10 years for the Florida State Courts in various positions in Court Administration. In Florida’s First Judicial Circuit she served as Deputy Court Administrator and managed juvenile court services including the juvenile drug courts and juvenile mental health court in Pensacola. She most recently worked for the Florida Supreme Court in Tallahassee as a Senior Court Analyst in the Office of Court Improvement. Workshop: Management of Remote Interpreting Technology
Hanna Sanders, Esq. was recently named the first Access to Justice Coordinator for the State of Maine Judicial Branch. Ms. Sanders was inspired to become an attorney after navigating the court system as a pro se litigant in a family matter, and graduated from the University of Maine School of Law in 2005. As a former senior staff attorney with Legal Services for the Elderly, Ms. Sanders specialized in securing equal access to federal benefits for Maine’s LEP populations. Ms. Sanders has worked as an archeologist in Central America, as a project and accounts manager in the housing industry, and with various non-profit and corporate institutions. Ms. Sanders is the author of several publications, most recently with the Maine Law Review’s Accessing Justice in Hard Times edition. Ms. Sanders is Chair of the State of Maine Judicial Branch LEP Advisory Committee, and is a Board member of Maine’s Justice Action Group. Workshop: Providing Services Outside of the Courtroom
Pamela Sánchez has a Master’s in Social Work and over 30 years experience in county, state and tribal government and as a non-profit executive director. She has been with the AOC since May 2008 and involved in a number of collaborative projects. Among these efforts are the New Mexico Justice System Interpreter Resource Partnership, which led to the creation of New Mexico Center for Language Access; the New Mexico Interpreters’ Conference, a collaborative cross-sector, language-neutral annual conference, which has garnered national recognition; the creation of the Navajo Interpreters’ Association; and the Pueblo Language Interpreters’ Project in collaboration with the University of New Mexico School of Law and the Department of Education. She has led the NM Judiciary’s language access compliance efforts, which include the certification of bilingual employees as Language Access Specialists and mandatory language access training for all judicial employees. Workshop: Collaborative Approaches
Mara Pagés Simmons has served as the Director of Court Interpreter Services for the Arkansas Supreme Court Administrative Office of the Courts since 2002. She is a Certified Spanish interpreter. Court Interpreter Services oversees the training and certification of judicial interpreters, as well as training of court personnel and coordinating all requests for foreign and sign language interpreters for all Arkansas State Courts. Mara served on the Executive Committee of the Consortium for Language Access in the Courts for three years. Workshop: Managing Interpreter Staff and Contractors
Jennifer Singletary is a native of Jacksonville, FL and a long-time resident of West Virginia. She earned her JD from the University of Cincinnati and an M.A. in Cultural Philosophy from Marshall University, graduating from both programs in the same week in 2001. Before being hired as a the public information officer for the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia’s Administrative Office (WVSCA AO), Jennifer worked as a public defender, a college professor, and an associate attorney specializing in insurance defense and med mal cases. Jennifer now works as a staff attorney in the WVSCA AO. A member of the Muscogee Nation of Florida, formerly the Florida Tribe of Eastern Creek Indians, Jennifer was a charter member of the International Alliance of Holistic Lawyers, and a mentor for minority law students. Jennifer has published articles and made presentations on diversity in the workplace and comparative national court practices, as well as being certified as a trainer on responding to elder abuse cases by the US Dept. of Homeland Security. In 2011, Jennifer was named the state of West Virginia’s Young Lawyer of the Year. Workshop: Planning for Technology Projects
David Slayton was appointed as Administrative Director of the Texas Office of Court Administration in April 2012. Prior to that, he had served as head of court administration for both district courts and county courts-at-law in Lubbock County since May 2004. Previously, Slayton was court services supervisor for the U.S. District Court in Dallas. He also is a former intake and docketing clerk for the U.S. District Court in Lubbock and as state district court coordinator and deputy district clerk in Lubbock County. Slayton holds a Bachelor's degree from Texas Tech University and a Master's from Troy State University. He is President-elect of the National Association for Court Management. He will become President of the national association in July 2013. Workshop: Providing Services Outside of the Courtroom
Linda P. Smith is the Program Manager for the Georgia Supreme Court Commission on Interpreters. She joined the Commission in 2007 and has served in her current position since 2008. As program manager, Linda is responsible for statewide testing, training, and licensure of court interpreters. Prior to joining the Administrative Office of the Courts, she worked for the Louisiana Supreme Court in its Court Case Management Division. Workshop: Funding and Authorization for Interpreter Programs
Paul A. Suttell was sworn in as Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court on July 16, 2009, after having served as an Associate Justice since July 2003. He was also an Associate Justice of the Rhode Island Family Court from 1990 to 2003. He has also served for eight years as a State Legislator in the Rhode Island House of Representatives and as House Minority counsel. He is active in many community and nonprofit organizations and is a past president of the Little Compton Historical Society and Sakonnet Preservation Association. He is the moderator and a trustee of the Little Compton United Congregational Church. He is a graduate of Northwestern University as well as the Suffolk University Law School. Workshop: Collaborative Approaches
Elizabeth " Libby" A. Sykes was appointed Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts in October 2006 by the Tennessee Supreme Court, and has worked for the citizens of Tennessee for more than 20 years. A career state employee, she began her employment with the Sentencing Commission as a Staff Attorney in 1986. She transferred to the Department of Correction in 1989, and then went to the Department of Health in 1992. She was hired as Executive Director of the Sentencing Commission in 1993 where she played an integral part in rewriting the sentencing guidelines for the citizens of Tennessee. In 1995, she began her employment with the Administrative Office of the Courts. She became Deputy Director in 1999. In her current role as Director, Libby supervises six divisions with more than 73 employees. Libby serves as a member of the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement Board, Judicial Information Systems Advisory Committee, Integrated Criminal Justice Steering Committee, Supreme Court Building Commission and the Law Library Commission. Libby graduated from Austin Peay State University in 1975 and received her JD from the University of Memphis in 1982. Workshop: Funding and Authorization for Interpreter Programs
Debi Tulang-De Silva, has been the Program Director of the Office on Equality and Access to the Courts (OEAC) at the Hawai`i State Judiciary since February 2005. Prior to that, she served as a Deputy Corporation Counsel for the City and County of Honolulu, Staff Attorney for the Regulated Industries Complaints Office with the State of Hawai`i Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, and Deputy Public Defender for the State of Hawai`i. Ms. Tulang-De Silva received her law degree from California Western School of Law in San Diego and her Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education in Psychology from the University of Hawai`i at Manoa. As Program Director for OEAC, Ms. Tulang-De Silva was instrumental in establishing the Hawai`i State Judiciary’s very first court interpreter certification program which has served as a model program for organizations with interpreting needs in languages considered by most as rare. Since 2008, she has served as a Co-Trainer for the Guam Judiciary and Pacific Judicial Council, conducting annual court interpreter training in the Pacific Islands. Ms. Tulang-De Silva also serves as the Hawai`i State Judiciary’s Language Access Coordinator and primary staff for the Hawai`i State Judiciary’s Supreme Court Committee on Court Interpreters and Language Access, and Supreme Court Committee on Equality and Access to the Courts. Workshop: Developing Interpreter Resources and Credentialing Program
Gerald W. VandeWalle is Chief Justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court. He has been a member of the North Dakota Supreme Court since 1978 and Chief Justice since January 1, 1993. Chief Justice VandeWalle holds a B.S.C. and J.D. magna cum laude from the University of North Dakota where he was editor-in-chief of the North Dakota Law Review. He is a member of the Order of the Coif. President of the Conference of Chief Justices 2000-2001; Chair of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar of the American Bar Association 2001-2002; Inducted into the Warren E. Burger Society October 2002; Recipient of the NCSC Paul C. Reardon Award 2003; American Inns of Court Professionalism Award for the 8th Circuit 2008; ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar Robert J. Kutak Award 2009. Workshop: Training Judges and Court Personnel
Valorie Vega has twenty-three years of experience as a jurist. She has presided in District Courts Department since 1999. She earlier served as a municipal court judge. She is a former deputy district attorney, judicial law clerk and associate attorney. Before attending law school, she worked as a court interpreter. Judge Vega has a Bachelor of Arts degree from CSUN, a graduate studies certificate in Interpretation/Translation from UCSB, and a JD degree from USC. Workshop: Training Judges and Court Personnel
Janice Walker was appointed State Court Administrator on May 13, 2005, to oversee the administrative operations of the statewide court system. The Office of the State Court Administrator provides organizational support and services to the trial and appellate courts to assist them in providing the citizens of Nebraska with meaningful, speedy and economical forums to resolve disputes. Ms. Walker has worked in the Nebraska courts since 1977. She holds a Master’s in public administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and is a Fellow of the Institute for Court Management. Ms. Walker currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Conference of State Court Administrators. She is Vice Chair of the COSCA Education Committee, a member of the Courts, Children and Families Committee, and the Elder Abuse Task Force. Workshop: Training Interpreters
Eric Washington was appointed Chief Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals in 2005 and is currently serving his second four year term. He is the immediate past President of the Conference of Chief Justices (CCJ) and serves on the Board of Directors of the National Center for State Courts. Prior to being designated as Chief Judge, he was an Associate Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, and before that, he served as trial judge on the D.C. Superior Court. Chief Judge Washington has served on several court committees over the years, including the Strategic Planning Leadership Council for the District of Columbia Courts, the Standing Committee on Fairness and Access to the Courts, and the Access to Justice Commission. As Chief Judge of the D.C. Court of Appeals, he also serves as Chair of the Joint Committee on Judicial Administration in the District of Columbia. Prior to his appointment as a judge, Chief Judge Washington was a partner with the law firm Hogan & Hartson (now Hogan Lovells). Chief Judge Washington has also served as the Principal Deputy Corporation Counsel in the Office of Corporation Counsel (1987-89) (now the Office of the D.C. Attorney General) as well as Legislative Director and Counsel to U.S. Congressman Michael A. Andrews (Texas) (1983-87). He began his legal career as an associate attorney with the Law Firm of Fulbright & Jaworski in Houston, Texas. He is active in several civic and educational endeavors, serving most notably on the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Clubs Foundation of Greater Washington, and ASTAR, the Advanced Science and Technology Adjudication Resource Project. He is a graduate of Tufts University, and the Columbia University School of Law. Plenary Session: Understanding the Legal Context
Janis Whitener-Moberg was first elected to the Grant County District Court Bench in 1990. She serves as the Presiding Judge. Janis is a member of the District and Municipal Court Judges’ Association (DMCJA), American Bar Association, Grant County Bar Assoc., and is a past president of the District and Municipal Court Judges Association for the State of Washington. She served as Dean to the Washington State Judicial College in 2010 and 2011. She co-chaired the Board for Judicial Administration Court Security Committee. She completed the National Drug Court Institute Adult Drug Court planning program and serves on the Grant County DUI/Drug court team. Judge Whitener-Moberg graduated from Washington State University with a B.A. in criminal justice and earned her Juris Doctorate from Gonzaga School of Law. Workshop: Planning for Technology Projects
Christopher P. Yates was appointed to the Kent County Circuit Court on April 22, 2008. He has served in both the Criminal/Civil Division and the Family Division of that court. On March 1, 2012, he was assigned to run the specialized business docket for the court. Judge Yates received a BA from Kalamazoo College in 1983, and a JD and MBA from the University of Illinois in 1987. As an attorney, Judge Yates served as a law clerk to Chief Judge James P. Churchill of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and to Judge Ralph B. Guy, Jr., of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Judge Yates also has worked as a federal prosecutor in Detroit, as an attorney-advisor in the Office of Legal Counsel at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., as Chief Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Michigan, and as a partner in two private law firms. Workshop: Developing Interpreter Resources and Credentialing Program
Gary Yost has been a judge of the Ashtabula County Common Pleas Court since 1991. Prior to this, he served as judge for the Ashtabula County Court, Eastern Division from 1983 to 1990. His service in Ashtabula County also included Assistant Prosecutor from 1979-1982, Assistant Solicitor for the City of Ashtabula from 1977-1979, and Staff Attorney for the County Public Defender from 1975-1977. Judge Yost is currently on the Supreme Court Advisory Committees on Domestic Violence and Interpreter Services and the Ohio Judicial Conference Committees for Jury Service and Specialized Dockets. He received his B.A. from Findlay College, J.D. from Case Western Reserve University, and a Masters degree from Youngstown State University. Workshop: Translation of Documents
Mary Rose Zingale is the Court Services Director for the Tennessee Supreme Court, Administrative Office of the Courts and supervises and coordinates the court interpreter program. As the director of court services, she also oversees the Court’s access to justice initiative, Rule 31 mediators, education for judges and clerks, court reporter program and miscellaneous grants obtained by the AOC. She received her undergraduate magna cum laude, from Ripon College, Ripon Wisconsin and her Juris Doctorate from Drake University Law School in Des Moines, Iowa. Before moving to Tennessee in 1999, she was the Fourth Judicial District Court Family Court Master in Nevada. She is a licensed attorney in Tennessee and Nevada and she is an inactive Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31 listed family mediator. Roundtable: Strengthening a Language Access Plan