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Justice Management Program

This master’s program was developed to address the demand from justice system personnel for a graduate level degree in the area of justice management. The program provides an academic foundation for those seeking education or advancement in the varied fields associated with the administration of justice. It is organized jointly by UNR, the NJC and the NCJFCJ, and is also supported by the National Juvenile Court Services Association, the National Center for State Courts’ Institute of Court Management, the American Probation and Parole Association, the American Correctional Association and the Child Welfare League of America. Those interested are encouraged to apply by contacting:

Justice Management Program Advisor
Jane Robinson, MBA, JD
Assistant Program Director

(775) 784-6270 or Fax: (775) 784-6273

 

View the Major for Trial Court Judges Course Listing

Click here for the latest MJS Graduates

Master's and Ph.D. of Judicial Studies Programs
The Judicial Studies Degree provides a formal academic setting in which trial judges or juvenile and family court judges can integrate technical studies of the judiciary with more academic ones in an effort to provide an intellectual assessment of the role of the American judiciary. The program is a collaboration between the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), The National Judicial College (NJC) and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ). A major academic objective of the degree program is to help create and define a new academic discipline, judicial studies.

Receiving a master’s degree in judicial studies recognizes current accomplishments in judicial studies, encourages further achievements and enhances one's career. A Ph.D. is available to judges who achieve the Master of Judicial Studies degree.

Click here for the Judicial Studies Degree Program Description from the University of Nevada, Reno

Admission Information

For a JSP application, click here

Admission to the Judicial Studies (JS) Degree program is limited to graduates of ABA-accredited law schools who are serving full-time on the bench at the time of application. Upon acceptance, judges may continue to participate in the program if they retire or are not re-elected. Exceptions may be made for full-time sitting judges who are graduates of recognized foreign law schools or graduates of non-accredited American law schools who have been admitted to the Bar and when it appears that the applicant is otherwise qualified and would, if accepted, contribute to the success of the program. Applications are accepted throughout the year.

The curriculum focuses on judges and their roles and contributions to American society, and on the improvement of services rendered by judges in a free society. The curriculum encourages students to become more proficient in the diagnosis and analysis of problems through the use of techniques developed by the social, behavioral and natural sciences, as well as by the humanities. Also, the curriculum requires the study and assimilation of research techniques used by professionals who testify in court. These same techniques will be used by students to study issues important to the advancement of the discipline of judicial studies.

Completion of Coursework
To obtain the Master of Judicial Studies degree, a student must complete a total of 32 credits, which is comprised of 26 coursework credits and six thesis credits. A student has up to six years to complete the master's program, but it is designed so it can be completed in three to four years. To complete the program in three years, a student must be able to spend a total of at least 12 weeks on the UNR campus during two consecutive years for completion of the UNR requirements. There is also time required for completion of NJC or NCJFCJ courses, depending upon course schedules and the qualifications of a candidate for retroactive credit. Please see the JS advisor listed below for “Retroactive Credit by Examination” eligibility. Coursework for the Trial Court Judges major also requires completion of NJC resident-session courses, for a total of 14 credits. This includes the General Jurisdiction or the Special Court Jurisdiction: Advanced course and specified one-week courses, including Judicial Writing.

To accommodate the trial schedules of students, the program is designed to provide considerable flexibility as well as maximum use of time spent on campus. Students may take day courses from UNR, which are two weeks in length, the NJC or the NCJFCJ, which are typically one week in length, concurrently with the UNR four-week evening course.

Considerable effort has gone into making maximum use of the relatively short time students will spend on campus. Students should expect to spend non-classroom time reading or preparing for end-of-course examinations or projects, both before and after course attendance. The completion of the thesis requirement will be accomplished outside of classes. To receive course credit, students should expect to attend each course in its entirety and schedule travel plans accordingly.

To obtain the Ph.D., a student must complete an additional 49 credits beyond the Master's, consisting of 24 coursework credits, one comprehensive exam credit, and 24 dissertation credits.

University of Nevada, Reno, JSP Advisor
Denise Schaar-Buis, MJM, Program Officer
(775) 784-6270 or Fax: (775) 784-6273
www.judicialstudies.unr.edu

2009 NJC Judicial Studies Program Course Schedule

February 15-19 in Orlando, FL and August 17-20 in Reno, NV
Advanced Evidence (JS 617)

February 15-19 in Washington, D.C.
Today’s Justice: The Historic Bases
(JS 642)

March 9-19, 2009 in Reno, NV
Administrative Law: Fair Hearing
(JS 612)

March 27-30 in Reno, NV
Logic and Opinion Writing (JS 621)

April 19-30 and October 4-15 in Reno, NV
General Jurisdiction (JS 610)

May 4-7 in Reno, NV
Advanced Judicial Writing (JS 626)

May 18-21 in Reno, NV
Practical Approaches to Substance Abuse Issues (JS 628)

May 18-21 in Reno, NV, and Sept. 21-24 in Oxford, MS
The Fourth Amendment: Comprehensive Search
and Seizure Training for Trial Judges (JS 645)

May 24-28 in San Francisco, CA
Conducting the Trial (JS 632)

June 8-11 in Reno, NV
Administrative Law: Advanced
(JS 649)

June 8-18 in Reno, NV
Special Court Jurisdiction: Advanced (JS 611)

June 14-18 in Philadelphia, PA
Dispute Resolution Skills (JS 625)

July 5-9 in Seattle, WA
Enhancing Judicial Bench Skills
(JS 624)

July 13-16 in Reno, NV
Scientific Evidence and Expert Testimony (JS 622)

July 20-23 in Reno, NV
Decision Making (JS 618)

July 23-26 in Reno, NV
Judicial Writing (JS 615)

Aug. 24-September 3 in Reno, NV
Administrative Law: Fair Hearing
(JS 612)

September 13-17 in Phoenix, AZ
Managing Challenging Family Law Cases (NCJFCJ) (JS 634)

November 1-5 in Naples, FL
Handling Capital Cases (JS 623)



2009 Justice Management Program

May 4-7 in Reno, NV
Court Management for Tribal Court Judges and Personnel (JM 690)

October 4-8 in San Antonio, TX
Effective Team Court Management
(JM 690)

October 27-29 in Reno, NV
Essential Court Teamwork in Dealing with the Media
(JM 690/693)

 

2009 UNR Judicial Studies Program*

February 2-April 24 with
March 2-6 on UNR campus
Special Topics (JS 780): Scientific Research Methods for Judges Web course

June 8-18
Criminology (JS 750)

July 6-16
Law, Social and Behavioral Science (JS 735)

July 6-30
History and Theory of Jurisprudence (JS 710)

July 20-30
Justice, Law and Literature (JS 715)

August 3-13
Public Policy and the Courts (JS 745)

All courses will be held in Reno, NV in the the Judicial Studies classroom
(NJC 116).

*The UNR schedule is subject to change.

 

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