What do court navigator programs do: An overview & partnerships, part 1
Join us for a year of learning and fun at Court Navigator School — a series of one-hour virtual webinar sessions that provide information, ideas, and tangible suggestions to help you start a navigator program or enhance your existing program. From October 2025 to June 2026, we'll offer five lecture sessions which cover important topics to help you start a program or enhance your existing program. Additional "study hall" sessions will provide structured, online technical assistance and advice from national experts and a place to share ideas with colleagues, exchange information, and explore possibilities in your jurisdiction in a small group setting.
Our first session, "What do court navigator programs do: An overview & partnerships, part 1," looks at what makes a court navigator program successful. This webinar introduces students to the purpose and scope of court navigator programs, highlighting the wide range of services provided and different ways services are delivered. The lecture traces the origins of these programs and explores how they have grown and adapted over time. Students examine how navigator programs build and maintain strong partnerships with a variety of entities, including access to justice commissions, universities, civil legal aid providers, clerk's offices, courts, and other key stakeholders.
Faculty:
- Mary Ferwerda, chief deputy clerk of circuit court, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
- Mary McClymont, senior fellow, Georgetown Justice Lab
- Rob Wall, senior court management consultant, NCSC
Future Court Navigator School sessions:
- Session 3: Using technology & remote services navigator programs
- Friday, Feb. 6, 2026
- Faculty: Sheriece M. Perry, director, Court Services and Law Libraries Department, Massachusetts Trial Courts Office of Court Management
- Session 4: How to establish (and maintain) program funding
- Friday, April 10, 2026
- Faculty: Stacey Weiler, director of grants & access to justice, Illinois Bar Foundation; and Robby Southers, Ohio Access to Justice Foundation
- Session 5: Collecting & using court navigator program data
- Friday, June 5, 2026
Study hall dates:
- Nov. 7
- Jan. 9, 2026
- March 6, 2026
- May 1, 2026
- June 26, 2026
Previous Court Navigator School sessions:
- Session 1: What do court navigator programs do: An overview & partnerships, part 1
- Friday, Oct. 3, 2025
- Faculty: Mary Ferwerda, chief deputy clerk of circuit court, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin; Mary McClymont, senior fellow, Georgetown Justice Lab; Rob Wall, senior court management consultant, NCSC
- Session 2: How to train court navigator staff
- Friday, Dec. 5, 2025
- Faculty: Jill Roberts, deputy director, Access to Justice division, Illinois Courts
Explore more
How to train court navigator staff, part 1
Learn how court navigator programs effectively train new staff and keep experienced team members current on the law, court procedures, and community referrals. This session will showcase proven training models and real-world examples of professional development in action in a court navigator setting.
How to train court navigator staff, part 2
During this study hall session, you will have an opportunity to apply what you learned during our our Dec. 5 Court Navigator School session, "How to train court navigators, part 1."
Leveraging navigator programs to assist court users
Court navigator programs can be a vital tool for ensuring access to justice for all. Non-lawyer navigators can provide real-time legal information, referrals, and navigational support to people with civil legal needs who need help moving through the court system and understanding complex legal procedures.