Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in the eNewsletter Judicial Edge, published by the National Judicial College. The December 1989 mail-bomb assassination of Judge Robert S. Vance of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit taught many judges… Read more »
Editor’s Note: The original version of this article was published in the fall 2018 issue of Virginia Family Law Quarterly, a publication of the Family Law Section of the Virginia State Bar. In 2018 the Supreme Court of Virginia (SCV)… Read more »
As a court administrator, I was fully aware that court litigants and users needed assistance to make their way through the court system as self-represented litigants. As a consultant, I have worked with courts on operational best practices and strategies… Read more »
Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in the Texas Association for Court Administration Journal, vol. 46, no. 1, January 2018. We’re all cogs in the same wheel: judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, court coordinators, bailiffs. Too often, it doesn’t seem to… Read more »
Change is one constant in all our courts. Resistance to change is normal because change disrupts the current comfort zone. Change can undermine our need to feel appreciated, valued, and in control. One of the biggest changes a court can… Read more »
Those of us committed to court administration recognize that the strength of this profession is directly linked to men and women with the vision and commitment not only to advance the profession, but also to develop and support others along… Read more »
Editor’s Note: We hope you enjoy looking back at the NACM 2018 Annual Conference in Atlanta. You can find more photos of the conference on our website and on flickr. Videos of our education sessions can be watched on YouTube…. Read more »
Courthouses are typically dignified, formal places, often with armed guards and security equipment at the entrances. Judges wear robes and sit behind raised benches to convey their authority. The judicial branch is responsible for adhering to constitutionally and statutorily mandated… Read more »
Editor’s Note: This article was published in the Judges’ Journal, volume 57, number 2, spring 2018. © 2018 by the American Bar Association. Reproduced with permission. All rights reserved. This information or any portion thereof may not be copied or… Read more »
Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on Melissa Eisler’s Mindful Minutes, a blog about how to live a mindful life, despite having a demanding schedule. Have you ever had a short fuse, overreacted, or lost your cool in a stressful… Read more »
The American civil justice system is facing a reckoning. There are real concerns today about how civil justice is delivered in the United States. Faith in the system is thinning. Much of the population lacks access to legal services, despite… Read more »
The ordinary administration of criminal and civil justice . . . contributes, more than any other circumstance, to impressing upon the minds of the people affection, esteem, and reverence towards the government. Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 17, in Clinton Rossiter… Read more »
In 2018 the Supreme Court of Ohio’s Dispute Resolution Section and the court’s 21-member statewide Commission on Dispute Resolution pursued initiatives consistent with the National Center for State Courts’ poll reflecting that, not surprisingly, Americans prefer to avoid taking their… Read more »
In the winter 2016 edition of the Court Manager, Kent Batty challenged us to a discussion of Ernie Friesen’s classic “Purposes of Courts.”1 In light of the evolving role of courts, it is indeed time that these Purposes be reviewed… Read more »
A Call to Action Paramount to the foundation of American government is a three-branch system, which specifically works to balance the power of each branch to protect the Constitution and the rights afforded to citizens of the United States. But… Read more »
Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in Court News Ohio, a service of the Ohio Supreme Court and Ohio Government Telecommunications. Technology pervades our lives. We stay connected on smartphones, research everything online, talk to far-away relatives over video, check… 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 »
© 2025 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.