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NJC announces endowment in honor of its first president

Board of Trustees to match gifts received for endowment

RENO, Nev. – The National Judicial College has established the Hon. V. Robert Payant Endowment to honor Judge Payant, the College’s first president. The endowment will provide a legacy for him at the NJC while supporting the College’s mission.

Hon. V. Robert Payant
Hon. V. Robert Payant

Judge Payant became the NJC’s seventh dean and chief executive officer in 1990 and became the College’s first president when that position was established in 1994. He held the position for four years and served on the College’s faculty for 26 years overall.

During Judge Payant’s tenure as president, the NJC headquarters more than doubled in size with an $8 million expansion that included a state-of-the-art courtroom. He also was the first recipient of the V. Robert Payant Award for Teaching Excellence. The award continues to honor outstanding faculty of the College.

Prior to joining the NJC, Judge Payant served as Michigan’s state court administrator from 1985 until 1988. He also served as a district, circuit, and probate judge in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Judge Payant and his wife, Virginia, now live in Milwaukee.

The NJC’s Board of Trustees has agreed to match, dollar for dollar, all gifts received by the end of 2017 for the Payant endowment up to a total of $25,000.

To make a secure online gift, please visit donate.judges.org and write “Payant” in the comments box. Checks can also be mailed to the NJC at 1664 Virginia St., M.S. 358, Reno, NV, 89557. Please write “Payant” on the comment line.

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The National Judicial College has been the nation’s leading provider of judicial education since 1963, drawing participants from every state and from over 150 countries. The NJC offers more than 100 judicial education programs annually onsite, online, and across the nation in support of its mission: education – innovation – advancing justice.

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