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Enhancing Judicial Bench Skills: The Day-to-Day Process

By John Newell, Program Attorney, The National Judicial College

5/15/2009

In addition to knowing and applying the law, judges must interact with other participants in the judicial process, including attorneys, parties, witnesses, jurors, the press, and even the general public. Successful interaction with such diverse people, who often have conflicting interests, requires judges to develop skills beyond those they possessed before taking the bench.

To assist judges develop more effective skills for dealing with the day-to-day operation of their courtroom, The National Judicial College developed an Enhancing Judicial Bench Skills course. Designed as a practical course that appeals to new judges as well as experienced judges who desire to hone existing bench skills, the NJC’s Enhancing Judicial Bench Skills course focuses on improving communication, decision making, and court management skills.

The faculty for the 2009 Enhancing Judicial Bench Skills course, which will be held in Seattle, WA, from July 5 to July 9, 2009, includes three trial judges – Judge Jess Clanton of Ohio, Judge Ilona Holmes of Florida, and Judge David Suntag of Vermont – who have a combined 60 plus years experience on the bench.  In addition to the Judges Clanton, Homes and Suntag, the faculty for the course also includes a communications expert, Ms. Kelly Tait.  

Ms Tait is a speech communications instructor at the University of Nevada, Reno, and a recognized expert on courtroom communication skills, including communicating with self-represented litigants.  Ms. Tait is also an expert on dealing with diversity issues in the courtroom.  Ms. Tait has served as a faculty member at the NJC since 2002, during which time she has been involved with many highly rated courses.   Through her experience as a judicial educator, Ms. Tait is able to meld the role of a judge and the challenges judges face in the courtroom with a perspective on communication and diversity/bias issues that will benefit any judge’s bench skills. 

In addition to communication skills and diversity/bias issues, Enhancing Judicial Bench Skills also addresses topics such as dealing with difficult people and disruptive events in the courtroom; jury management; moving cases judiciously; court security; stress management; and ethics (2 hours). The course addresses these topics via presentations, group learning activities, discussion panels, etc. 

Enhancing Judicial Bench Skills qualifies for 2 credits toward the Judicial Studies degree. Registration is now open for the course and scholarships are available to eligible judges. The cost is $1,195. The conference fee is $370.

For more information about the Enhancing Judicial Bench Skills Course, contact John Newell, NJC Program Attorney at (800) 255-8343, or by e-mail at newell@judges.org.