In a democracy, every citizen or entity deserves access to a fair, impartial and expert settler of disputes and administrator of justice. Most problems a society faces will eventually involve the justice system. That makes judicial education both a necessity and a never-ending pursuit.

Created in 1963 at the recommendation of a Supreme Court justice, The National Judicial College is the country’s oldest, largest, and most widely attended school for judges. Each year judges from all 50 states and several foreign countries study with the College, either in person or online. The NJC has been called the “gold standard” and “The Harvard of Judicial Education,” and its stated mission is “to make the world a more just place by educating and inspiring its judiciary.”

Almost all NJC courses are taught by volunteers – hundreds of active and retired judges who want to improve the judiciary. They consider it an honor to share their knowledge and experience with fellow judges. One longtime judge and Distinguished Faculty member said recently, “The opportunity to be a part of this institution will always be the greatest honor of my life.”

If the purpose of the cy pres doctrine is to advance the interests of the class and people similarly situated, The National Judicial College is analogous to the O negative blood type, known as the universal donor. Just as O negative can help anyone in need of a transfusion, the service the NJC provides to the judiciary helps everyone whose livelihoods and lives depend on the rule of law, the peaceful resolution of conflicts, and equal justice under law. Which, in a democracy, is everyone.