As I sit down to write my final President’s Message, I find myself wondering where the past year has gone. The truth is, it has gone by far too quickly. Serving as president of the National Association for Court Management… Read more »
Departments
President’s Message
As I wind down my presidential year, I find myself reflecting on the strategic priorities that were set last July and the meaningful progress we have made. It has been rewarding to see so many of these initiatives take shape,… Read more »
A Question of Ethics
Court professionals are committed to fairness, impartiality, and equal access, principles reflected in the NACM Model Code of Conduct. Yet many Americans believe the legal system operates on two tracks, one for those with financial resources and another for those… Read more »
A Question of Ethics
The Disappearing Line: What are the New Ethics in an Era Where Nothing is Neutral This episode of the Question of Ethics Conversation examines a fundamental ethical challenge facing court professionals today: How are their ethical responsibilities evolving in the… Read more »
Management Musings
In one of the final scenes in the television series, “Breaking Bad,” Walter White, played by Bryan Cranston, finally abandons the rationalizations he spent years constructing around his conduct. White tells his wife, Skyler, played by Anna Gunn: “I did… Read more »
Management Musings
The art of influencing people has been examined from a wide range of intellectual and creative domains. Aristotle identified three modes of persuasion: ethos (credibility), pathos (emotion), and logos (reason). He contended that influencing others requires all three; rational arguments… Read more »
Courtside Conversation
Roger RandInformation Technology Manager Multnomah Circuit Court (Oregon Judicial Department)38 elected judges, 16 judicial referees,5 court locationsNACM member since 2015, but has participated in committee calls since 2009 Which committees have you chaired during your tenure?I have chaired the DEI… Read more »
Courtside Conversation
Konstantina VagenasNACM Member and President/Co-Founder of the Judicial Branch Education Academy How do you support judges and court professionals to enhance their job knowledge? Our motto at the Judicial Branch Education Academy (JBEA) is “Lifelong Learning & Leadership,” to truly… Read more »
President’s Message
As we begin a new year, we open the door to new opportunities — to engage, to contribute, and to strengthen the work of the National Association for Court Management (NACM). While the start of a new year invites reflection,… Read more »
A Question of Ethics
Courts stand at a crossroads between tradition and necessity. On the one hand, we are guardians of legal boundaries, carefully distinguishing who may practice law and what constitutes legal advice. On the other hand, we are confronted with an undeniable… Read more »
Management Musings
I can distinctly recall when I first arrived at college during the early 1990s and seeing posters of Salvador Dali’s “The Persistence of Memory” hanging in the dormitories of students (several students evidently picked up a copy of the same… Read more »
Courtside Conversation
Nicole GarciaCriminal Department Administrator Court Circuit: Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa CountyNumber of Judges: 165Year of NACM Membership: 2013 What led you to a career in court management and then to membership in NACM, eventually joining the Board of… Read more »
President’s Message
In my remarks at the Annual Conference in July, I shared my journey into NACM — starting with my first conference, when I wasn’t sure where I fit in, to finding my people, joining committees, and eventually serving on the… Read more »
A Question of Ethics
Across America, many communities are in what scholars call “legal deserts,” areas with few, if any, available attorneys to meet the legal needs of local citizens. Rural towns and poor urban neighborhoods often lack affordable access to lawyers, leaving residents… Read more »
Management Musings
The biopic “A Complete Unknown” explores the early career of Bob Dylan as played by Timothée Chalamet. Apart from Dylan’s life and music, the film walks the audience through a period of American history between 1961 and 1965. One of… Read more »
Courtside Conversation
Timothy EzellChief Operations Officer & Chief Deputy Clerk Atlanta Judicial Circuit (Fulton County, Georgia)20 Superior Court & 30 Magistrate JudgesNACM member since 2013 What interested you in a career in court management?I was drawn to court management because of the… Read more »
Editor’s Note
Fall is considered by some to be the best time of year for a reset — setting new routines, clarifying goals, and building momentum before the new year. In this issue, we focus our attention on an aspect of the… Read more »
President’s Message
Hello, everyone, and Happy Spring! I cannot believe my year as President is already winding down. I’ve been very honored to serve in this capacity during the celebration of NACM’s 40th anniversary. But this message is not about me; I… Read more »
Management Musings
Winston Churchill’s contemporary Clement Attlee, the leader of the Official Opposition in the United Kingdom, was humble almost to a fault. In some instances, Attlee’s humility was used against him, who was described by Churchill as a “modest man, a… Read more »
A Question of Ethics
Artificial intelligence has the potential to reshape the judicial system. AI-powered tools, from legal research assistants to sentencing algorithms and customer service chatbots, offer efficiency but also introduce risks, particularly bias. Additionally, the confidentiality of court records and legal proceedings… Read more »
