Unlocking a judge's potential through peer coaching
For judges, navigating the demanding and often solitary aspects of their work can present significant hurdles for professional growth and leadership. While traditional mentoring is valuable, it may not offer the growth needed for substantive change. For this reason, we're offering a new, transformative opportunity for judges: judicial coaching.
What is judicial coaching?
Judicial coaching is a nondirective, peer-to-peer development model where trained judges (coaches) guide colleagues through reflective inquiry, active listening, and powerful questioning. This structured approach empowers judges to find their own solutions, maximize performance, and foster self-discovery.
For judges, embracing coaching represents a fundamental shift from the traditional advice-giving mindset of mentoring to the facilitative coaching approach.
What judicial coaching IS:
- Facilitating self-discovery: Guiding judges to explore their own thoughts and find insights.
- Refining core skills: Emphasizing deep listening, strategic pausing, and insightful questioning.
- Unlocking potential: Empowering judges to tap into their own wisdom.
- Focusing on the judge: The judge sets the agenda and desired outcomes.
What judicial coaching IS NOT:
- Telling judges what to do: Coaches do not give advice or directives.
- Acting as a traditional mentor: This differs from mentoring, which involves direct guidance and wisdom sharing.
- Fixing problems for others: Coaches equip judges to solve their own problems.
Regardless of experience level, judicial coaching offers significant growth opportunities, benefiting both new and veteran judges seeking continuous improvement.
Coaching is more like learning how to listen differently — how to reach decisions or help others reach decisions. And not at all the advice-giving, mentoring-ish role or training that you would expect from the title coaching.
Charles Q. Clay III
Judge & trained peer-to-peer coach, Los Angeles County Superior Court
Why judicial coaching is effective
Our proven coaching methods unlock a judge's full potential (both as a coach and a coachee), enhance their effectiveness both on and off the bench, and foster personal and professional growth.
Empowers through self-discovery
Guiding judges to discover their own solutions leads to deeper understanding (an "aha moment"), stronger commitment, and more sustainable change.
Enhances core judicial skills
Focus on active listening, strategic questioning, and thoughtful pausing directly improves courtroom conduct and decision-making.
Fosters a growth mindset
Promotes continuous learning, encouraging judges to see challenges as opportunities for improvement.
Curbs judicial isolation
A confidential, nonjudgmental space combats isolation, offering a safe outlet for reflection and growth.
Unlocking greatness: How coaching can transform the judiciary
Learn how how peer coaching is transforming the judiciary from the inside out by creating confidential, collaborative spaces. Judicial leaders and coaching experts discuss their success stories and the benefits gained from this new approach to growth and leadership.
We train judges to be coaches
We offer in-person training led by International Coaching Federation-certified coaches to train judicial officers as peer coaches. We can help you bring judicial coaching to your court.
Benefits to the court and public
The positive impact of judicial coaching extends far beyond individual judges, leading to a stronger judiciary and better service to the public.
Improved justice delivery
Active listening and strategic questioning skills can directly improve fairness and thoughtfulness in courtroom decisions.
Increased public trust
When court users feel heard and respected, it builds public trust in the justice system.
Greater court efficiency
When judges are equipped to solve their own challenges and manage their workloads more effectively, it contributes to a smoother and faster court process.
Stronger judicial community
A culture of peer-to-peer support fights professional isolation and fosters a more collaborative and unified judiciary.
The skills that we learned as a coach also translate well to being on the bench. The active listening, pausing to let the person in front of you reflect on their answer... Really have been things I've been implementing on the bench outside of the coaching relationship.
Natalie Damgaard
Judge & trained peer-to-peer coach, Second Judicial Circuit, South Dakota
Transform your court culture
Trust us with your training and coaching needs for all levels of staff and judges. Our sessions are approachable and offer practical guidance on ways to strengthen a range of leadership skills.
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Unlocking greatness: How coaching can transform the judiciary
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