Indiana, Virginia court leaders take the helm as presidents of CCJ, COSCA
Indiana Chief Justice Loretta H. Rush (pictured right) and Virginia Supreme Court Executive Secretary Karl R. Hade are the new leaders of the Conference of Chief Justices (CCJ) and Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA).
Chief Justice Rush and Hade assumed their respective one-year terms as president of CCJ and COSCA, along with leadership roles on the NCSC Board of Directors, this week during the joint annual conference in Chicago.
Chief Justice Rush, who joined the Indiana Supreme Court in 2012, first became chief justice in 2014 and was reappointed in 2019. She served as a Tippecanoe Superior Court 3 judge for 14 years and spent 15 years in private practice before her appointment to the state’s high court.
Chief Justice Rush served as the co-chair of the National Judicial Opioid Task Force (NJOTF) and serves on the executive committee of the National Judicial Task Force to Examine State Courts’ Response to Mental Illness. She was appointed by John G. Roberts, Jr., Chief Justice of the United States, to serve as a member of the Judicial Conference Committee on Federal-State Jurisdiction.
Hade (pictured right) has been Virginia’s top court executive since 2005. He previously held positions with the Supreme Court of Virginia in judicial information technology, systems development, and court management. Hade has served on the COSCA Board of Directors for five years and has chaired a number of committees and work groups.
The 2022-23 board election concluded this week’s annual meeting, which was themed, “Behavioral Health and the State Courts—Finding Solutions and Resources.” In addition to behavioral health, court leaders also discussed opportunities and challenges related to trends in diversity and racial justice.
Mary McQueen Leadership Award
Kansas District Judge Keven O’Grady of Johnson County received the Mary McQueen Leadership Award from CCJ, COSCA, the National Association for Presiding Judges and Court Executive Officers, and the National Association for Court Management during the CCJ/COSCA awards luncheon on Tuesday. Judge O’Grady was recognized for his leadership, vision, and commitment to preserving fair and impartial courts and improving public trust and confidence through access and improvements. Photographed with Judge O’Grady is Mary McQueen (far left) and Kansas State Court Administrator Stephanie Bunten (far right).
Sandra Day O'Connor Award
Also recognized during Tuesday’s award luncheon was the iEngage Summer Civics Institute at Baylor University, which received the 2022 Sandra Day O’Connor Award for the Advancement of Civics Education. The Texas program was recognized for its work to promote, inspire, improve, and lead innovation in the field of civics education related to the justice system. Photographed are Baylor School of Education Associate Professor Karon LeCompte, Ph.D., Rhode Island Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Suttell (far left) and Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht (far right).