Connecting Business and Technology As noted by Kofi Annan, “Knowledge is power. Information is liberating.” Such a simple and powerful message! But how do you find the information you seek? Ah, there’s always a catch. While Google works well for… Read more »
Although a courthouse is the place where justice is served, it is also the place where people may experience high levels of stress or emotional upheaval. An individual may be dealing with a variety of traumatic experiences leading up to… Read more »
Close contact with trauma survivors is an element of employment that court employees experience regularly. However, most employees, and even court managers, give little thought to the effects this contact may have on their personal and professional lives. Until recently,… Read more »
In 2014 the Orange County Superior Court developed a request for proposal to identify a vendor to provide mass notification services. In late 2015 the court implemented a fully functioning mass notification system, called Court Alert. The court has eight… Read more »
Consider the recent focus on the need to change the manner in which courts deal with litigants. Examples include: new thinking on the use and role of fines, fees, and bail assessments; initiatives that change how courts handle cases (civil,… Read more »
It is time to improve the way we communicate information. In 2015 the Conference of State Court Administrators and the Conference of Chief Justices promulgated Joint Resolution #5, calling for the “aspirational goal of 100 percent access to effective assistance… Read more »
“My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand.” —Thich Nhat Hanh Under the Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution, a person accused in… Read more »
“Do what is right, not what is easy” —author unknown My typical day, like many court leaders, is spent transitioning from one important task to another while putting out unanticipated fires in between. It’s one of the reasons I enjoy… Read more »
My regular job duties provide me an opportunity to visit courthouses throughout my state. Some are looming and opulent. Some are quaint and unassuming. My favorite sites are those with beautiful stained-glass rotundas and grand staircases. When I visit clerks’… Read more »
So, you work for a court. It may be a small court with one judge in a rural city. It may be a large court with 60 judges in a major metropolitan city. The work seems to go far beyond… Read more »
Cherie Garofalo A Season of Firsts Cherie Garofalo is the deputy court executive officer in the Superior Court of California in San Bernardino. San Bernardino County has a population of 2.1 million people and is the largest county by geographic… Read more »
Over the years, I’ve had a number of court employees share their feelings about management. A recurring theme, often by those who have to clock in daily, has been resentment over performance evaluations by supervisors who do not perform the… Read more »
In Rafa: My Story, Rafael Nadal discusses his final pregame ritual before squaring off against Roger Federer: As important as all the preparations that went before, was to look up, scan the perimeter of the stadium, and search for my… Read more »
Chances are, you’ve had more than a passing conversation about online dispute resolution (ODR, for short) within the last year. Maybe you’re investigating ways to implement ODR and looking for signs that the technology is beyond the major pitfalls of… Read more »
Early last fall, the NACM Board met to discuss its strategic priorities for the coming year. One of NACM’s strategic focus areas is Advocacy for the Profession. A goal under advocacy is that NACM will be an influential and respected… Read more »
As the new editor of Court Manager, I’d like to take a moment to introduce myself. I have been working in the court system since I became a law clerk in 2004 in Columbus, Ohio. While my current job affords… Read more »
Put a Ring on It—Engage Your Professional Association Have we all been here? When I began my journey with NACM, it was so intimidating to engage and connect with fellow members. Do you see the long-standing friendships in the organization… Read more »
A New Take on How Jury Service Is Akin to Voting* I had a very interesting email exchange in late August with a federal public defender. He was asking about the viability of a potential challenge to the jury pool… Read more »
Goats or Landscapes? I am not a regular coffee drinker, but when I do indulge, it’s almost always an espresso (sometimes macchiato). While waiting in line recently at a local café, I was struck by the sheer number of choices… Read more »
A Portal to the Future? I admit I was intrigued by a recent news story about a court employee who was fired for providing legal information to a prisoner. The scenario below is based on that news item. The intriguing… Read more »
© 2024 NACM – Court Manager; printed in the United States. Court Manager is published quarterly by the National Association for Court Management. Opinions expressed and procedures explained in the articles are not necessarily those of NACM or of the National Center for State Courts. Publication of advertising in the Court Manager does not imply NACM or NCSC endorsement or approval of the product or service. The association encourages submission of material that will interest or benefi t its members. Address correspondence to either the editor or the managing editor; inquiries about advertising should be directed to the managing editor. All rights are reserved to reject, condense, or edit any article or advertisement submitted for publication.