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About
History
President
Board of Trustees
Faculty Council
Board of Visitors
Joint Committee
Alumni Relations Committee
Faculty
The NJC Team
Jobs & Internships
Strategic Plan
Annual Reports
Awards
Title VI
NJC Corporation
60th Anniversary
Courses & Degrees
Course Catalog
NJC On-Demand
Request Custom Course
Judicial Academy
Scholarships
Professional Certificate Program
Enrollment FAQs
Master’s and Ph.D. Degrees
Artificial Intelligence and the Rule of Law
Traveling to Reno
Collaborations
National Tribal Judicial Center
Dividing the Waters
Reading & Robes
Appellate Judges Education Institute
Our Partners
Reynolds Center for Courts & Media
International Programs
Judicial Resilience Alliance
Past Programs
Democracy’s Last Line of Defense
News & Info
The Latest
Judicial Edge Today
Reflections from the Bench
Question of the Month
Welcome to the Bench
Ask the Model Code
Press Releases
The NJC Podcast
Faculty Forum
NJC in the News
President's Update
Judicial Heroes & Legends
Resources
NJC On-Demand
Bench Books & Cards
Articles & Reports
Useful Judicial Links
Case in Point Magazine
Annual Reports
Commercial Driver's Licensing Laws
Racial Justice
Drug-Impaired Driving Resources
COVID-19
Donate
Giving Opportunities
Donor Honor Roll
Annual Reports
Endowments
Legacy Giving
Scholarship Fund
About the NJC
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Courses

Web Course

Restorative Justice Perspectives Panel

Financial Statements in the Courtroom – October

Civility in the Legal Profession: From Deposition to Trial – Las Vegas

Civility in the Legal Profession: From Deposition to Trial – Reno

Special Considerations for the Rural Court Judge: Web-Based

Taking the Bench: An Interactive, Online Course for New Judges

Handling Small Claims Cases Effectively: Web-Based

Webinar

Restorative Justice Perspectives Panel

Intentional Justice:  Not by Chance, but by Change!

Medicines for Substance Use Disorders – What Judges Need to Know

Financial Statements in the Courtroom – June

When Financial Abuse Goes Digital and Domestic Violence: What Judges Need to Know

Tech-Enabled Abuse and Domestic Violence: What Judges Need to Know Part II

Tech-Enabled Abuse and Domestic Violence: What Judges Need to Know Part I

Mitchell v. Wisconsin: The Unanswered Question of Implied Consent

Web Self-Study

Restorative Justice Perspectives Panel

The Examination of a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Violation from Roadside to Docket

Effectively Communicating with Families That Have Missing or Abducted Children Self-Study Course

A Thoughtful Approach to Racially Impartial, Research-Based Sentencing

DWI Court Enhancement: A Self-Study Web Course

Probate Matters: A Self-Study Online Course

Free

Restorative Justice Perspectives Panel

Impaired Driving 2023: Where Are We?

Lightning Course

Restorative Justice Perspectives Panel

Judge-Led Education: Curriculum Development for Subject Matter Experts – A Lightning Course

Crafting Effective Learning Objectives – A Lightning Course

Are Per Se Standards for Enforcing Marijuana-Impaired Driving Scientifically Legitimate? A Lightning Course

An Overview of Afrocentric Facial Feature and Skin Tone Bias in Criminal Law – A Lightning Course

Evidence-Based Practices: A Judge’s Guide to Pretrial Detention for Non-Violent Offenders – A Lightning Course

Tribal Online Self-Study Across the Country

Restorative Justice Perspectives Panel

Restorative Justice

The Anti-Racist Courtroom: Theory and Practice

Animal Law General Jurisdiction

Restorative Justice Perspectives Panel

Ethics, Fairness, and Security in Your Courtroom and Community – ONLINE

Designing and Presenting: A Faculty Development Workshop

Impaired Driving Case Essentials

General Jurisdiction (JS 610)

Best Practices in Handling Cases with Self-Represented Litigants

Designing and Presenting Effective CDL Courses: A Faculty Development Workshop

Civil Mediation: An Online 40-Hour Workshop

Judicial Writing (JS 615) – ONLINE

Ethics, Fairness, and Security in Your Courtroom and Community

Ethics and Judging: Reaching Higher Ground (JS 601): Web-Based

Judicial Ethics and Social Media: A Lightning Course

Handling Inquiries from the Media: A Primer for Judges

An Ethical Approach to the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986

When Science Comes to Court: Self-Study Course on Forensic Evidence

Judicial Academy Tribal

Restorative Justice Perspectives Panel

Essential Skills for Tribal Court Judges

Writing for Tribal Judges

Administrative Law: Fair Hearing (JS 612)

Special Court Jurisdiction

Judicial Academy – A Course for Aspiring Judges

Strengthening the Foundation of a Tribal Court: A Self-Study Course for Court Administrators

Special Court Jurisdiction: Advanced (JS 611)

Strengthening the Foundation of a Tribal Court: A Self-Study Course for Court Clerks

Impaired Driving in Indian Country

Mini-Course Administrative Law

Restorative Justice Perspectives Panel

Administrative Law: Advanced (JS 649) – ONLINE

Mindfulness for Judges

Evidence Challenges for Administrative Law Judges: Web-Based

Fundamentals of Evidence: Web-Based

Ethics for the Administrative Law Judge: Web-Based

Administrative Law: Advanced (JS 649)

Advanced Bench Skills: Procedural Fairness

New

Restorative Justice Perspectives Panel

Transitioning from the Bench

Military Conversations on Racial Justice Special Courts

Restorative Justice Perspectives Panel

Advanced Evidence (JS 617)

Fourth Amendment: Comprehensive Search and Seizure (JS 645)

Decision Making (JS 618)

Lecture Appellate

Restorative Justice Perspectives Panel

Advanced Skills for Appellate Judges

water International

Restorative Justice Perspectives Panel

Judicial Renaissance III

Symposium Traffic

Restorative Justice Perspectives Panel

Self-Represented Litigant Issues in CMV Cases (Part 2)

Self-Represented Litigant Issues in CMV Cases (Part I)

Fundamentals of “Masking” and Suspensions for CDL Holders in Traffic and Criminal Courts

Enhancing Judicial Bench Skills (JS 624)

60th

Ethics, Fairness, and Security in Your Courtroom and Community - ONLINE

Designing and Presenting: A Faculty Development Workshop

Impaired Driving Case Essentials

General Jurisdiction (JS 610)

Best Practices in Handling Cases with Self-Represented Litigants

Designing and Presenting Effective CDL Courses: A Faculty Development Workshop

Civil Mediation: An Online 40-Hour Workshop

Judicial Writing (JS 615) - ONLINE

Ethics, Fairness, and Security in Your Courtroom and Community

Ethics and Judging: Reaching Higher Ground (JS 601): Web-Based

Judicial Ethics and Social Media: A Lightning Course

Handling Inquiries from the Media: A Primer for Judges

An Ethical Approach to the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986

When Science Comes to Court: Self-Study Course on Forensic Evidence

Lessons from Tough Cases: Judging, Judicial Independence, Faithfulness to the Rule of Law

As any judge who has served on a busy trial court can attest, there are many assignments where the cases come at you so hard and fast that there is barely time to step into the box and take your stance before the next one comes zooming in. And that is true of the “easy” cases. And, there are cases where the judge has to wrestle with a problem so complex, or so emotionally draining, as to test the fortitude and impartiality of even the most experienced jurists. These might be called “go to the mountain top” cases.

“Mountain top” cases can appear in the garb of criminal, civil, probate, or family cases. Often the judge is unable to find any guiding legal precedent and is forced to navigate uncharted waters in search of the “just” result. Sometimes controlling legal precedent exists, but following it will lead to an unjust result. And then there are cases where the judge has very wide discretion to apply a vague legal standard, like “the best interest of the child” in contested child custody proceedings, or finding the “right sentence” in a criminal case, where the statutory range might run from no prison time at all to life in prison.

Other cases are hard not only because of the subject matter, but also because they capture the attention of the entire community and become highly politicized. These can be especially challenging for elected judges, who know that whatever decision they make may become the fodder for an opposition campaign when they next stand for election, and may ultimately cost them their judgeship. These political realities do not lessen the judge’s duty to decide each case in accordance with the facts and the rule of law, by reference to neutral principles. But these requirements can make the exercise of that duty more agonizing, knowing that the decision is likely to be unpopular with at least one large segment of the population.

This 4-day course will provide attendees with an opportunity to examine the decision-making process in a wide variety of contexts. Using a story-telling format, judges Canan and Mize present challenging case studies and encourage participants to share their approaches to reaching just results in each instance.

Objectives

By analyzing and critiquing thirteen poignant stories written by trial judges who struggled with difficult cases, seminar participants should come away with valuable insights about the decision-making process. Hopefully too, attendees will become enthused and empowered to become better judges.

Evidence in a Courtroom Setting (JS 633)

Fourth Amendment: Comprehensive Search and Seizure (JS 645)
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