The National Judicial College

Election Challenges & Disputes: Ruling Fairly and Ethically
2024-03-21 - 2024-03-22 | Chicago, IL

Judicial Executive Leadership by Harvard Law School Executive Education
2024-07-22 - 2024-07-24 | Cambridge, MA

Decision Making (JS 618)
2024-08-19 - 2024-08-22 | Seattle, WA
Why should I take this course?

Each and every day, judges are called upon to make decisions that affect the lives of the persons coming before them. This course familiarizes you with many of the factors that affect the judicial decision making process and assists you in analyzing your own thinking and style. During the course, the faculty will cover the psychology of decision making, explore how personality type may influence decision making, review ethical considerations that may impact decision making, discuss how appellate courts review decisions, and provide practical suggestions to aid in making decisions from the bench.

Who should attend?

All types of adjudicators will benefit from this course.

Who are the members of the faculty?

Faculty members include judges and experts in the psychology of
decision making and how personality type may impact decision making.

How is this course taught?

This course is taught through interactive lecture, hypothetical case
study, and class discussion facilitated by a diverse faculty.

What should I tell my presiding judge or funding agency so that my attendance will be approved?

Improved decision making skills can enhance my efficiency and
efficacy in court and improve my productivity and proficiency. Many of
the concepts and techniques learned can be shared with colleagues.

Whom should I contact for more information?

For more information, please contact the Registrar’s Office at (800) 255-8343 or registrar@judges.org.

Judicial Renaissance IV - Portugal
2024-09-09 - 2024-09-12 | Lisbon, Portugal
Previous Judicial Renaissances have been held in Bordeaux, France; Seoul, South Korea; and Athens, GreeceTuition covers course fees, a cultural activity and group dinner, and breakfast and lunches. Tuition does not include airfare, lodging or other dinners.The National Judicial College’s Judicial Renaissance course is an innovative and transformative experience for the judiciary. It’s an intellectual retreat that transcends the boundaries of conventional legal education, immersing judges in the deep and diverse currents from which the law itself has emerged. Here, participants will traverse the vast landscapes of history, philosophy, the arts, humanities, and sciences, uncovering the rich tapestry that informs the very essence of jurisprudence.This is more than just a study program—it’s an intellectual odyssey that rekindles the ageless pursuit of wisdom and justice. It’s a conclave where legal minds come to learn from the past and grasp the big ideas shaping our future. With guidance from a cadre of luminaries across varied disciplines, judges will explore enduring human achievements and the foundational principles of justice.In joining the Judicial Renaissance course, judges are not merely expanding their legal expertise; they are embarking on a quest to broaden their horizons and deepen their understanding of the human condition. It’s an invitation to be part of a community that values lifelong learning and to contribute to a dialogue that elevates the administration of justice to its noblest form. This course isn’t just an education; it’s an inspiration—a chance to engage with the big ideas revolutionizing our world and to reaffirm one’s vocation to serve the timeless cause of justice.

This course may be eligible CJE credit hours. Due to the international scope of this course, and collaboration with other international schools of judicial training, NJC cannot predict the number of CLE/CJE credits that will be approved by your state.

Registration fee includes: tuition fees, cultural activity (including a dinner), lunches. Registration does not include: airfare, lodging or dinner (except for the social activity) or other meals outside of course hours.

Registration is first come, first served. Given the significant interest, we recommend you register early.

Deadline to register for Judicial Renaissance IV is July 31, 2024, but may close earlier if all seats are filled.

Managing Complex Litigation (JS 629)
2024-10-07 - 2024-10-10 | Nashville, TN

Ethics for Judges
2024-10-11 | Las Vegas, NV

Civil Mediation
2024-11-11 - 2024-11-15 | Reno, NV
Why should I take this course?

The techniques developed in this course will positively impact the judge’s communication and dispute resolution skills on and off the bench. This is a thorough and interactive, hands-on course that combines theory with practice. Participants act as mediators in simulated sessions and receive feedback on their performance. For those transitioning in their careers, the course provides a solid, practical starting point for becoming a mediator.

Who should attend?

This course is appropriate for any judge of any jurisdiction who will
use mediation techniques to resolve disputes. Other court personnel who
will serve as court mediators are also welcome to attend.

Who are the members of the faculty?

The faculty are widely recognized mediators who are seasoned instructors.

How is this course taught?

This course utilizes sophisticated role-playing exercises and
extremely interactive presentations. The role-playing exercises to allow
participants to sit as a mediator in varying situations. You will have
the opportunity to play the role of an attorney, a disputant, and an
observer during the exercises.

What should I tell my presiding judge or funding agency so that my attendance will be approved?

The use of mediation is burgeoning in the judicial and administrative
fields as well as in the private sector. Adjudicators who can
effectively settle disputes through the use of mediation will
significantly reduce court management costs.

Whom should I contact for more information?

For more information, please contact the Registrar’s Office at (800) 255-8343 or registrar@judges.org.

Fourth Amendment: Comprehensive Search and Seizure (JS 645) - ONLINE
2024-12-09 - 2024-12-12 | Online
Why should I take this course?The Fourth Amendment is the most implicated constitutional protection. It is also the most litigated. Accordingly, judges frequently have to rule on objections and motions concerning the Fourth Amendment. What is a search? When does a seizure occur? What are the types of searches and seizures? What interests are protected by the Amendment? Who has standing to challenge the intrusion? When is a search or seizure justified? When do the police need a warrant? If the Fourth Amendment has been violated, does the exclusionary rule apply?

The four-day course offers insights on motion hearings practice, examines the principles related to consent searches, and contains sessions on warrant issuance and review of that decision, warrant execution issues, and searches without warrants. These latter searches include exigent circumstances, community caretaking, inventory searches, and automobile searches. The course also discusses frisks and searches incident to arrest. Finally, the course offers an overview of developing principles related to computers and digital evidence.

Who should attend?The course is valuable to both beginning and experienced judges.

Who are the members of the faculty?The faculty for this course include a law professor who has authored two editions of Fourth Amendment treatises and judges who have educated hundreds of their colleagues on the topic of search and seizure.

How is this course taught?A variety of teaching techniques including lectures, case studies, large and small group discussions, and polling questions. The course is an excellent mix of the theoretical and practical.

What should I tell my presiding judge or funding agency so that my attendance will be approved?Ruling incorrectly on a search or seizure matter can result in having to retry a case. The Fourth Amendment is one of the most litigated and most technically difficult areas of the law. To avoid wasting scarce judicial resources, all judges can benefit from participation in the course.

Whom should I contact for more information?For more information, please contact the Registrar’s Office at (800) 255-8343 or registrar@judges.org.

Drugged Driving Essentials
2025-03-17 - 2025-03-19 | Indianapolis, IN
Who should attend?Any judges who hear traffic cases, or anticipate they will preside over a traffic docket in the future. Traffic issues affect all cases universally, thus it is always beneficial for a judge to be well-versed in the most pressing topics which are occurring today, and know how to manage the issues in an effective manner.

Who are the members of the faculty?The faculty is composed of experienced judges, professors, physicians, consultants, attorneys, and law enforcement officers, who have a mastery of teaching the skills needed to effectively manage a traffic court docket, and will provide valuable best practices information regarding traffic case adjudication.

How is this course taught?Classroom presentations are balanced with problem solving sessions, case studies, small group discussions. The faculty encourages you to interact during class and make themselves available outside of the classroom for informal discussion of issues and problems.

How is this course taught?Problems with drug abuse can affect a person involved in any type of court case. As such, it is important for a judge to be aware of the emerging trends in drug use, in order most effectively manage their cases. This course will provide the judge who presides over any type of docket with the tools to effectively determine if a person appearing before them is under the influence of drugs, and will provide practical methods of determining the most effective way to effectively manage the drug abuse issue.

Whom should I contact for more information?For more information, please contact the Registrar’s Office at (800) 255-8343 or registrar@judges.org.

Operation Safe Arrival: Impaired Driving Interventions for Service Members and their Families
2025-04-10 - 2025-04-11 | San Antonio, TX

Restorative Justice
2025-06-02 - 2025-06-05 | San Diego, CA
Faculty:

Judge J. Wesley Saint Clair (ret) joined JAMS Mediation, Arbitration and ADR Services after a sterling 30-year career as a judge in the King County court system. Initially as a District Court judge and then as a Superior court judge, a court of general jurisdiction. As a trial judge, Judge Saint Clair presided over thousands of cases and where he developed expertise is skillfully handling numerous case types: complex personal injury, and product liability.

Judge Saint Clair has received numerous awards and acknowledgments for his work in therapeutic courts, resulting in a New York Times article about his court. https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/15/us/15drugs.html

He ended his career as chief of the juvenile court and was introduced to restorative practices as a more holistic and humanistic of engaging with children and families. His program and passion resulted in a TED presentation in 2016. https://youtu.be/9zx9zYKto_0

Judge Saint Clair remains committed to addressing issues that plague our systems: homelessness, mass incarceration, and systemic and institutional racism.

Julie Hilt is the founder of Alternative Restorative Communities (ARC), LLC, a restorative justice agency where she collaborates with community partners to create programs that work to address the racial and ethnic disparity in the juvenile justice system. Julie came to California from London, England. Her work is greatly influenced by research and methods that have been pioneered in the UK, bringing a more global perspective to juvenile justice.

Julie’s 10+ years of experience working with restorative practices range from co-facilitating the first victim offender conference on San Quentin’s death row to working with youth on diversion in the community. She taught victim/offender education at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville for two years and has presented at conferences, both nationally and internationally.

Since 2015, she has contracted with Solano County Probation to provide a restorative justice program for youth in detention, created and provides a diversion program to keep youth out of the juvenile justice system, and created The Noah Project, a mentoring program that trains community members to provide mentorship for at-risk and incarcerated youth. The Noah Project has also trained youth in detention to become peer mentors.

Advanced Tribal Bench Skills: Competence, Confidence and Control
2026-02-23 - 2026-02-26 | HollywoodFL
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.

General Jurisdiction (JS 610) - Spring
2026-04-13 - 2026-04-23 | Reno, NV
Why should I take this course?Designed for the newer judge, the course introduces you to a variety of subjects and skills you will need and use in your judicial career. Both academic and experiential teaching techniques are used to provide you with the solid, basic understanding of various topics, from ruling on evidence to handling the self-represented litigant. In addition to the substantive law sessions, you will learn about courtroom control, ethical pitfalls and solutions, effective communication techniques, and decision making strategies. After your nine days at The National Judicial College, you will have the tools and resources to face most courtroom situations with confidence.

Who should attend?The course is designed for the newer general jurisdiction judge. Most participants find their attendance is most meaningful if they can attend six to twenty-four months after taking the bench. Experienced judges with or without law degrees who have completed the basic two-week Special Court Jurisdiction course are eligible to attend.

Who are the members of the faculty?The faculty is composed of experienced and knowledgeable judges, law professors and experts from other disciplines who have considerable experience in teaching judges and in using the techniques appropriate for a professional education.

How is this course taught?The faculty use a variety of adult education methods including lecture, question and answer, debate, hypotheticals, problem-solving, and panel discussions. There is a great deal of sharing of experience and practice, which occurs particularly in the daily small-group discussions conducted by group facilitators who have previously attended the course. The atmosphere is intended to be relaxed with as much time as possible for completing exercises, but the lectures are deliberately provocative in comparing methods, ideas, and procedures.

What should I tell my presiding judge or funding agency so that my attendance will be approved?Being an effective and efficient general jurisdiction judge requires a range of skills unique to the judicial position. This course will provide me with nine full days of intensive immersion in those basic, necessary skills. Participants learn best practices in a variety of topics. In addition, I will have the opportunity to utilize those techniques in various courtroom scenarios and practicums. Some of the topics covered include courtroom management, evidence rulings, defendant control, and judicial handling of staff.

Whom should I contact for more information?For more information, please contact the Registrar’s Office at (800) 255-8343 or registrar@judges.org.

AttireBusiness casual: most participants wear jeans, comfortable pants, sneakers, or tennis shoes.

DinnersTwo class dinners will be scheduled. RSVP will be completed during the 1st day of class.

Logic & Opinion Writing (JS 621)
2026-05-04 - 2026-05-07 | New Orleans LA
Why should I take this course?

Who should attend?

This course invites judges to more carefully and thoroughly examine the underlying principles of logical reasoning as applied to their decision-making and opinion-writing. Judicial writing is often as important as the determinations. Opinions should serve as a reasoned statement that justifies the outcome judges have reached.

This course is designed for any judge, judicial officer, law clerk,
or court-affiliated staffperson who must appraise the soundness of
arguments presented to them and want to improve their legal writing
skills.

Who are the members of the faculty?

The faculty consists of a philosophy professor who is also an
attorney and a nationally recognized judicial writing instructor with
experience in crafting judicial opinions.

How is this course taught?

The class is conducted through presentations, extensive class
discussion and writing exercises. You will be asked to submit an opinion
for review and analysis. Pre-course materials will be available via
email for you to complete approximately six weeks prior to the course
start date. Please plan to set aside approximately two to four hours of
time to review and complete materials prior to the course.

What should I tell my presiding judge or funding agency so that my attendance will be approved?

A judge must evaluate legal argumentation in its many forms because
it lies at the heart of the judging craft. The validity of arguments in
briefs, memoranda, and oral presentations often depend upon the logical
components. Even a rudimentary understanding of logic will enable a
judge to perform more effectively and save time in legal analysis.
Further, judges must frequently write opinions. This course will assist
judges in analyzing and solving troublesome difficulties that they may
encounter in preparing and writing an opinion.

Whom should I contact for more information?

.For more information, please contact the Registrar’s Office at (800) 255-8343 or registrar@judges.org.

Advanced Bench Skills: Procedural Fairness
2026-05-28 - 2026-05-29 | Savannah GA

Judicial Executive Leadership by Harvard Law School Executive Education
2026-07-13 - 2026-07-16 | Boston

Enhancing Judicial Bench Skills (JS 624)
2026-07-20 - 2026-07-23 | Portland OR
Why should I take this course?A practical course for new judges and for judges who want a fresh look at their role on the bench, this course provides an opportunity to learn and practice the skills that you need to oversee your courtroom more effectively.

Who should attend?General jurisdiction, special court, and tribal judges who hear criminal or civil cases will benefit from this course.

Who are the members of the faculty?The faculty for this course are highly experienced judges and experts in the fields of communication and decision-making.

How is this course taught?The faculty uses a combination of lecture, question and answer, debates and class problems. You will be expected to participate in active discussions of current issues and to offer insights and experiences in dealing with such matters. Time is also set aside for small group discussions.

What should I tell my presiding judge or funding agency so that my attendance will be approved?All judges can benefit from learning to be more efficient and by thinking “outside of the box.” They will have the opportunity to learn not only from the expert faculty but also from colleagues from around the country. Judges often rely on local legal culture to define how they conduct their courtrooms and trials. Examining the culture is important for ensuring growth and progress.

Whom should I contact for more information?For more information, please contact the Registrar’s Office at (800) 255-8343 or registrar@judges.org.

Judicial Renaissance Japan
2026-09-28 - 2026-10-01 | Japan
Previous Judicial Renaissances have been held in Bordeaux, France; Seoul, South Korea; Athens, Greece; and Lisbon, Portugal. Tuition covers course fees, cultural activities and group dinner, and breakfast and lunches. Tuition does not include airfare, lodging or other dinners. Unfortunately, the NJC cannot offer scholarships for this course. The National Judicial College’s Judicial Renaissance course is an innovative and transformative experience for the judiciary. It’s an intellectual retreat that transcends the boundaries of conventional legal education, immersing judges in the deep and diverse currents from which the law itself has emerged. Here, participants will traverse the vast landscapes of history, philosophy, the arts, humanities, and sciences, uncovering the rich tapestry that informs the very essence of jurisprudence.This is more than just a study program—it’s an intellectual odyssey that rekindles the ageless pursuit of wisdom and justice. It’s a conclave where legal minds come to learn from the past and grasp the big ideas shaping our future. With guidance from a cadre of luminaries across varied disciplines, judges will explore enduring human achievements and the foundational principles of justice.In joining the Judicial Renaissance course, judges are not merely expanding their legal expertise; they are embarking on a quest to broaden their horizons and deepen their understanding of the human condition. It’s an invitation to be part of a community that values lifelong learning and to contribute to a dialogue that elevates the administration of justice to its noblest form. This course isn’t just an education; it’s an inspiration—a chance to engage with the big ideas revolutionizing our world and to reaffirm one’s vocation to serve the timeless cause of justice.

This course may be eligible CJE credit hours. Due to the international scope of this course, and collaboration with other international schools of judicial training, NJC cannot predict the number of CLE/CJE credits that will be approved by your state.

Registration is first come, first served. Given the significant interest, we recommend you register early.

Guardianship and Probate Matters
2026-09-28 - 2026-10-01 | Reno, NV

Artificial Intelligence (AI) for all Judges and Lawyers: A Comprehensive Course
2026-12-07 - 2026-12-10 | San Diego CA
