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Why a Judge is Like a Coach
Judge Michael Town explains how and why judges can be considered coaches and describes his experience with the Positive Coaching Alliance, a Stanford University-based nonprofit organization that re-defines what “winning” means. +++++++++++ Inside the Minds of Judges: Who are They? What Are They About? How Do I Reach Them?
In the Fall 2005 issue of NASJE News Quarterly, the online newsletter of the National Association of State Judicial Educators, Judge David Gersten explains himself and his colleagues to the rest of us, addressing such touchy issues as the judicial ego. Funny, entertaining, enlightening. ++++++++++ Judge of the Year: Chief Judge Jeremiah of Rhode IslandThe chief judge of the Rhode Island Family Court, Judge Jeremiah S. Jeremiah, Jr., was named by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (that’s us) as Judge of the Year at our Annual Conference. This article on the corrections.com web site profiles Judge Jeremiah and tells why he was chosen for this award. ++++++++++ Online Course on Substance Abuse NCSC and the American Judges Association have created an online course on substance abuse that explores the nature of alcohol and other drug abuse as well as the dynamics of recovery and is intended as a primer for judges who handle all types of cases. To access the course, click on the link above and go to the NCSC Institute for Court Management Free Resource website. ++++++++++Judges Seek Cover on the Bench In this news article a judge in Danville, Kentucky, is profiled as he deals with the arrest of a man who is now charged with his attempted murder. The man was on his way to a hearing in Judge Bruce Petrie’s courtroom with an accordion file stuffed with papers. The papers had been hollowed out to conceal two clips of ammunition and a gun. ++++++++++ Judge Joan Lefkow’s Testimony On May 18, federal Judge Lefkow, whose husband and mother were killed by a man who had intended to kill her, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The link above will take you to a Chicago Tribune article on her appearance before the Committee. This link will take you to a copy of her testimony. ++++++++++ The Role of the Juvenile Court Judge Revisited The latest issue of the Juvenile and Family Court Journal (Winter 2005) contains an article by Judge Leonard Edwards, past president of NCJFCJ, in which he takes another look at his article, “The Role of the Juvenile Court Judge,” in the light of change in America’s juvenile courts since its original publication in 1992. As a bonus the article also contains the text of Judge Edwards’ remarks when he received the William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence in November, 2004, the first time in the award’s history that this honor has gone to a juvenile court judge. If you’d like to read this article, send me an email and I’ll send it to you, also by email. Please send me your name, your city, and your state for our records in your email to me. ++++++++++ How Judges Cope With Everyday Threats on the Job The murder of a Chicago judge’s family members is prompting a nationwide reassessment of how vulnerable judges are and what precautions they can take. Judge Gayle Nachtagal, president of the American Judges Association, has installed a burglar alarm, keeps her address out of the phone book, and has talked to her children’s principal, asking the school to refrain from giving out their names. ++++++++++ Survey of Judicial Salaries Also from NCSC, a web page for information on its annual Survey of Judicial Salaries. NCSC has published this survey for more than 25 years. Can be read online or ordered in hard copy. ++++++++++ Judicial Compensation The National Center for State Courts provides information on how salaries are set in the states. In some states judges receive automatic pay increases. In most states salaries are set and reviewed by state legislatures. Some states depend on recommendations made by a judicial compensation commission. NCSC says comparing judicial compensation from state to state is complex and complicated by the structure of state courts. ++++++++++ Compassion Fatigue and Vicarious Trauma in Court: A Judge's Perspective (at the site click on the link to the Fatality Review Bulletin) Compassion fatigue in judges is the result of vicariously becoming worn down from hearing and deciding cases where people have been physically and emotionally injured, hospitalized, and at times killed. Symptoms include sleeplessness, eating disturbances, increased anxiety, depression, and hyper vigilance. A recent study indicates that it appears to peek at the seven-year mark in a judge's tenure on the bench. For more information about this timely subject, click on the link above to read Judge Michael Town's article in the Fatality Review Bulletin of the National Domestic Violence Fatality Review Initiative. ++++++++++ When Criminal and Juvenile Judges’ Orders Conflict This article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette looks at what happens when judges in criminal court and juvenile court issue orders that conflict. In a recent child endangerment case, the juvenile court judge called for weekly visits between mother and children. The criminal court judge forbade the mother from seeing, calling or sending cards to nine of her children at any time during 14 years of probation. The case is one of several that violate an agreement between criminal and family courts to honor each other’s orders. ++++++++++ The Judges’ Page – A Web Page for Judges Who Hear Child Welfare Cases A new web site launched jointly by the National Council and the National CASA Association brings resources, research, best court practices and cutting edge programs that will assist judges in improving outcomes for children who have been abused or neglected. The Judges’ Page is the brainchild of retired Virginia judge and past president of NCJFCJ, J. Dean Lewis, who brought our organizations together in support of the work of dependency court judges. ++++++++++ Judicial Campaign Conduct The National Center for State Courts, the ABA and other organizations have established the National Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on Judicial Campaign Conduct. The committee will develop a handbook to be titled How to Implement and Operate an Effective Judicial Campaign Conduct Committee which will draw upon the experience of the committee’s members. Conduct committees (see list by state on the web site) already exist in five states to resolve issues relating to claims of improper conduct during campaigns and participate in setting the tone of judicial elections in their jurisdictions. ++++++++++ Judges' Resources Here’s a page from the ABA web site with links to a variety of organizations and resources useful to judges. This page would be a good one to bookmark. It does get updated frequently, so remember to push the “refresh” button on your view menu on your computer to see the latest version when you go back to it. ++++++++++ Judicial Independence The American Judicature Society : And these articles from a variety of sources: |
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