Greetings fellow court professionals! Take a little time to enjoy this issue’s articles. We look back at the Top Trends of 2020 and consider ways to ensure that competencies gained from training are maintained as part of professional development. Our… Read more »
Posts By: T.J. BeMent
Editor’s Notes
Dear Reader, I’m a language person, and it sparked my curiosity when I started seeing “physical distancing” supplant “social distancing” in some publications. A move from the social-distancing term is an attempt to underscore the fact that we should maintain… Read more »
Courtside Conversation
Jeffrey Tsunekawa
Jeffrey Tsunekawa Background: Title, Court: Director of Research and Court Services, Texas Office of Court Administration NACM Title: Vice President, Chair of Education Committee Number of judges at court: 3,216 (in the state) NACM member since 2007 You are NACM’s… Read more »
A Question of Ethics
The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has exposed many new ethical questions involving the courts. The national “shelter-in-place” directive left businesses and government agencies scrambling. Courts worked to save employee jobs. Many courts were fortunate to receive emergency funding and retain employees for weeks… Read more »
Management Musings
What is in the word “yes” when we utter it? In his book The Wisdom and Teachings of Stephen R. Covey, American educator and businessman Stephen R. Covey equates the commitments that individuals make to one another with “emotional bank… Read more »
Caseflow Management Practices—Opportunities for Application
Caseflow management is a court responsibility, which benefits from ongoing attentiveness. Caseflow management practices involve efforts for monitoring and overseeing case progress while managing any case backlogs. Monitoring steps occur (optimally) from case initiation through trial, adjudicatory actions, and final… Read more »
CourtFutures Top Trends to 2019 Survey Results: NACM Respondents
The Surveys We have summarized the best thinking of nearly 1,400 court professionals who reviewed 186 different scenarios of possible futures.1 This report highlights 2019 assessments and focuses on the responses of NACM members, comparing their assessments with those of… Read more »
Candid Camera: Tips for When You’re on Webcam
Even as social-distancing guidelines change, the reality is that many of us will continue to conduct large portions of our jobs remotely. While you’ve probably already been on many video calls, it’s worth reevaluating your options and considering adjustments that… Read more »
Framing Diversity and Inclusion for Court Managers: The Path to Justice for All
The Challenge For most court managers, the saying “Justice for All” is more than a T-shirt slogan. It is at the core of what the court system does every day. Court managers oversee and support complex services and activities, which… Read more »
Kevin Bowling Receives NACM Award of Merit
For 42 years, Kevin Bowling has had a career in courts, and he is a people person. So, it was a surprise when nobody tipped him off about his receiving the highest honor from the National Association for Court Management… Read more »
The High Performance Challenge: Employing Framework Concepts to Improve YOUR Court
All courts are candidates for higher performance, and the High Performance Court Framework (HPCF, or the “Framework”) advocates concepts and processes by which any court can improve. In our two previous articles, we contended that the continuing difficulties that so… Read more »
President’s Message
Greetings, fellow NACM members! As your new NACM President, I have so much I would like to say in person, but I appreciate the opportunity to give a virtual handshake to my colleagues around the country and even the world…. Read more »
Aligning Caseflow Management Practices with Generational Preferences
Court leaders can face challenges when implementing and institutionalizing caseflow management practices. Generational influences and preferences may impact success. This article considers caseflow management practices, influences on success, and suggestions about caseflow techniques that make use of generational tendencies. Caseflow… Read more »
Editor’s Note
Dear Reader, The state courts where I live have been caught up in the pandemic crises of our day. Normally, I’d say that’s a reasonable thing. Courts are great places for those seeking justice, access to information, or a resolution… Read more »
Language Access in Human-Trafficking Cases
Human trafficking is a crime against a person wherein an individual is exploited for work or sex. There is a long history of human trafficking in the world, and the practice persists today among cases coming before our courts. Unlike… Read more »
IJIS Exchange
Part two of the three-part column on court project IT dream teams In our last column, we introduced the topic of “dream teams” and gave a few examples of high performers from the world of sports (the 1992 U.S. Olympic… Read more »
President’s Message
Welcome to this edition of the Court Manager. The NACM Board and our volunteer committee members are engaged and doing a marvelous job on behalf of the association. I am amazed by their dedication and commitment. Please visit the NACM… Read more »
Courtside Conversation
Robert Carbeck
Robert Carbeck Deputy Court Administrator, Washtenaw County Michigan Trial Court Number of judges at court: Seven NACM member since: 2019 How did you get started in court administration?There was a need and I had some experience. I started my court… Read more »
Editor’s Note
Dear Reader, When I started writing this weeks ago, I led with the idea of change. After all, undertaking this editing role represents a change for me. But now that a pandemic change overtakes my daily job duties and much… Read more »
A Question of Ethics
When I think of a courthouse, I often envision a Doric-columned stately judicial building, focused on and controlled by judges. We often forget that many courts in this country are housed in multiuse government facilities. The courts in these facilities are often… Read more »