Why Judge? “Unmasking” Procedural Fairness and Empathy for Self-Represented Litigants in Court
This grant-funded course is provided free of charge to judges.
0
Days & Times
10 a.m. PDT/11 a.m. MDT/Noon CDT/1 p.m. EDT
Course Location
Online
Course Fees
This grant-funded course is provided free of charge to judges.
$0
This one-hour training explores the concept of “masking” by self-represented litigants (SRLs) holding a Commercial Driver License (CDL), and its impact on procedural fairness. Masking occurs in everyday court adjudication procedures. When adjudicating SRLs, the language needs to be and appear “respectable” and avoid negative judgments within the courtroom. The presentation will examine how court discretion, implicit expectations of respectability, and the absence of active listening and empathy can impact SRLs' judgements. Participants will learn to exercise these abilities while still upholding judicial ethical duties. Participants will gain insights into fostering courtroom practices that uphold procedural fairness while recognizing and responding to masking behaviors.
This grant-funded course is provided free of charge to judges. $0
During this course, you will learn to:
- Define masking in the context of CDL self-represented litigants and explain how it impacts procedural fairness and perception of credibility in court.
- Describe how respectability norms, court discretion, and language expectations can denigrate the challenges with CDL-SRLs and identify strategies to mitigate these barriers while maintaining judicial ethics.
- Demonstrate the use of active listening and empathy to recognize and appropriately respond to masking behaviors with ethos, fostering fair and respectful courtroom interactions.
This one-hour training explores the concept of “masking” by self-represented litigants (SRLs) holding a Commercial Driver License (CDL), and its impact on procedural fairness. Masking occurs in everyday court adjudication procedures. When adjudicating SRLs, the language needs to be and appear “respectable” and avoid negative judgments within the courtroom. The presentation will examine how court discretion, implicit expectations of respectability, and the absence of active listening and empathy can impact SRLs' judgements. Participants will learn to exercise these abilities while still upholding judicial ethical duties. Participants will gain insights into fostering courtroom practices that uphold procedural fairness while recognizing and responding to masking behaviors.