Advanced Tribal Bench Skills: Competence, Confidence and Control

Tuition

1979

Conference Fee

549

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Days

to

Course Location

HollywoodFL

Course Fees

Tuition

$1979

Conference Fee

$549

HollywoodFL

February 23, 2026 to February 26, 2026

The National Judicial College designed this four-day course for all tribal judges who wish to increase their skill level on the bench.

This course offers highly interactive training, designed to give tribal judges more confidence in handling all aspects of hearings and trials. You will participate in daily workshops on professionalism, ethics, the role of the judge, and techniques for maintaining control of the trial process. This course will benefit the whole range of tribal judges, from newer, non-attorney judges to experienced lawyer-judges.

Top Faculty. Led by Fort Peck Tribal Court Chief Judge Stacie Fourstar, the faculty team will build your competence and confidence on the bench. The faculty also includes Judge Danielle Mayberry (Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone) and Judge Layatalati Hill (Oneida Nation). All three faculty members offer participants years of experience as tribal judges and judicial educators.

Earn Respect. This course will give you the confidence you need to effectively and competently handle the cases that come before your court. You will learn different techniques to address all manner of advocates and issues that may arise during trial. After participating in this course, you will earn the respect of your Tribe and all who appear before you, because you:

  • preside over fair and impartial trials
  • create an appropriate trial environment
  • articulate and enforce ground rules for trial conduct by advocates
  • efficiently handle unexpected events that frequently occur during a trial

Tuition

Course $1979

Conference Fee $549

Scholarships programs

Scholarship assistance makes NJC courses more affordable for judges.

Scholarships
What will I learn?

During this course, you will learn to:

  • Manage and complete a hearing or trial on a complex criminal or civil case.
  • Respond with confidence to attorneys challenging their authority or rulings.
  • Write a decision or judgment adjudicating a conflict with complex legal and factual issues.

Why should I take this course?
This course will give you the confidence you need to effectively and competently handle the cases that come before your court. You will learn different techniques to address all manner of issues that may arise during trial.

Who should attend?
All tribal judges who wish to increase their skill level on the bench should attend.

Who are the members of the faculty?
Faculty members will be drawn from a pool of respected judges and instructors from Indian Country.

How is this course taught?
The faculty uses experiential learning techniques that include lectures, group discussions, and role-playing exercises to increase your skills on the bench.

What should I tell my presiding judge or funding agency so that my attendance will be approved?
A confident and competent judiciary is a cornerstone of a strong tribal nation. Improving your skills as a tribal judge will help to preserve the integrity of your court while improving procedural fairness in your court system.

This course qualifies for The National Judicial College Certificate in Judicial Development program Tribal Judicial Skills discipline.

Register Now.

This course offers highly interactive training, designed to give tribal judges more confidence in handling all aspects of hearings and trials. You will participate in daily workshops on professionalism, ethics, the role of the judge, and techniques for maintaining control of the trial process. This course will benefit the whole range of tribal judges, from newer, non-attorney judges to experienced lawyer-judges.

Top Faculty. Led by Fort Peck Tribal Court Chief Judge Stacie Fourstar, the faculty team will build your competence and confidence on the bench. The faculty also includes Judge Danielle Mayberry (Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone) and Judge Layatalati Hill (Oneida Nation). All three faculty members offer participants years of experience as tribal judges and judicial educators.

Earn Respect. This course will give you the confidence you need to effectively and competently handle the cases that come before your court. You will learn different techniques to address all manner of advocates and issues that may arise during trial. After participating in this course, you will earn the respect of your Tribe and all who appear before you, because you:

  • preside over fair and impartial trials
  • create an appropriate trial environment
  • articulate and enforce ground rules for trial conduct by advocates
  • efficiently handle unexpected events that frequently occur during a trial

Register
Download Course PDF
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