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Oregon trial court administrator receives national Warren E. Burger Award
Williamsburg, Va. (March 15) -- Longtime Lane County trial court administrator Liz Rambo has been
named the recipient of the Warren E. Burger Award for Excellence in Court Administration from the National Center for State Courts (NCSC).
Rambo, the trial court administrator (TCA) for the Lane County Circuit Court in Eugene since 2008, will receive the award in July at the annual conference of the National Association for Court Management in Tampa, Fla. The recognition honors individuals who make significant contributions to the field of court administration through management and administration, education and training, or research and consulting.
“Liz brings a unique set of skills and experience to her role as trial court administrator. By working her way up through the ranks, Liz has experienced many aspects of court administration that have informed her leadership and innovation in Lane County and throughout Oregon,” said NCSC President Mary C. McQueen. “She embodies the qualities this award represents, and I couldn’t be more pleased to recognize her distinguished career with this honor.”
A 35-year employee of the Oregon Judicial Department, Rambo is known for her leadership, innovation and mentorship. Colleagues say that Rambo’s knowledge and success as a TCA was built on a foundation of firsthand experience in the work of the court. She began her career as a temporary court operations clerk in 1988 and subsequently held positions as a cashier, calendar clerk, courtroom bailiff and administrative analyst.
“Over the course of her career, Liz has worked in every facet of court operations from courtroom staffing to the front counter, to scheduling, to leading operations teams, and finally to court management,” said Lane County Circuit Court Presiding Judge Jay McAlpin.
Locally, Rambo developed a model Pretrial Release Program that has been adopted statewide. She also worked closely with county leaders to complete a six-year project to retrofit the courthouse to ensure it was ADA accessible. Beyond Lane County, Rambo actively participates on several statewide court committees, including service as the co-chair of the Data Governance Advisory Committee.
“In her position, both statewide and locally, Ms. Rambo is a proven leader, a creative innovator, an active mentor and an overflowing foundation of knowledge and history that we draw from daily,” wrote the four presiding judges in Lane County Circuit Court who have worked closely with Rambo. “For the past 14 years, Ms. Rambo has been a committed, knowledgeable, and strong TCA who takes every opportunity to learn in the interest of fulfilling the Oregon Judicial Department mission to provide fair and accessible justice services that protect the rights of individuals, preserve community welfare, and inspire public confidence.”
The Warren E. Burger Award for Excellence in Court Administration is named for the late chief justice of the United States, who was instrumental in founding NCSC and its Institute for Court Management.