Court Leader's Advantage

Thursday, February 18, 2021, Court Leader’s Advantage Podcast Episode

Back in October of 2019, for most courts, working remotely from home was a privilege granted to a small number of court employees. It seemed to be granted mostly to Court Technology workers and Executive Office staff who were working on some major project. Who would have thought that just six months later, courts across the country would be engaged in promoting telework to many if not most of their employees? This has been a profound cultural shift that is almost unheard of in court administration.

We now have close to a year’s experience with allowing telework on a widespread basis.

· What has been the experience of court administrators and clerks of court with telework?

· What productivity improvements have we seen?

· What are the obstacles that we have encountered and how have we steered around them?

· What lessons have we learned and what advice do we have to share?

We are talking with court administrators from around the country about the effect teleworking has had on the courts including the technological, cultural, and operational aspects of this dramatic shift in how court work gets done.

About Our Co-Host Panelists 

Co-Host Alyce Roberts is the Special Projects Coordinator for the Alaska Court System.  Alyce is a 2010 Fellow of the Institute for Court Management.

Sam Hamrick is the Court Executive Officer for the Superior Court in Riverside, California.  Sam received his Bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina, his Master's in Public Administration from the Western Carolina University, his Juris Doctor from Campbell University School of Law. 

Terri March is the Court Administrator for the Justice Court in North Las Vegas, Nevada.  Terri received a Bachelor's Degree and a Master's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.  She is a Fellow of the Institute for Court Management (ICM) and is a certified ICM faculty; she received a Master of Arts in Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.  

Courtney Whiteside is the Director of the Municipal Court in St. Louis, Missouri.  Previously, Courtney was a court clerk in St. Charles, Missouri, and then as the state’s municipal division courts monitor with the Office of State Courts Administrator and Missouri Supreme Court.

 Debbie Spradley is the Trial Court Administrator with the Clackamas County Circuit Court in Oregon City, Oregon.  Debbie received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the California State University, San Marcos.

Thursday, January 28, 2021, Court Leader’s Advantage Podcast Bonus Episode

Welcome to a bonus episode on how local courts are facing and solving their many complex issues. As mentioned in last week’s episode, these local suburban and rural jurisdictions are very often the representative of the judicial branch in much of America. We are continuing our conversation with clerks of court and court administrators from one and two judge courts around the country. We are chatting about the current issues facing local courts including automated case management systems, teleconferencing, telework, and training in smaller jurisdictions. How are these courts managing those issues, and what advice they have for the rest of us?

About Our Speaker Panelists

Angie Van Schoick is the Court Administrator for the Municipal Court in the Town of Breckenridge, Colorado.  It is a position she has held since 2013.  Angie is a licensed macro level social worker in the State of Colorado and Michigan, receiving her MSW from the University of Michigan in 2007.

Saundra Berry is the Clerk of Court for the Municipal Court in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.  Saundra earned a master’s degree in business administration from Atlanta University and a bachelor of science degree in mathematics from Central State University.

Kelly S. Elliott is the Court Administrator for the Municipal Court in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.  Kelly has more than 39 years of experience in the court and legal field.  Kelly completed her Certified Court Administrator certificate in 2015 and received her Advanced Certified Court Administrator in 2019 through the Missouri Association for Court Administration.

Lindsey Forshee is the Superior Court Administrator for the Tifton Judicial Circuit in Georgia.  Lindsey graduated from the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor of Science degree in Hospitality Management in May 2018.

Danielle Trujillo is the Court Administrator for the Municipal Court in Littleton, Colorado.  Danielle is an innovative public safety professional with an exceptional ability to research and analyze complex issues and provide actionable conclusions.  Through problem solving and critical thinking she utilizes a multidisciplinary approach to bridge gaps in information and processes.   DanielIe started her career in restorative justice and love the ability to directly serve my community through local government.

Court Leader’s Advantage Podcast: January 2021 Episode

When we talk about the challenges confronting America’s judicial branch, we often focus on the concerns and accomplishments of large metropolitan courts. After all, they are often the ones that have more money and more resources to throw at a problem.  However, a survey conducted several years ago, revealed that almost 65% of all courts in the United States had benches of fewer than four judges.

In a large portion of our country, these local suburban and often rural jurisdictions, these local courts are the representative of the judicial branch.  How are these local courts solving their problems? How are they coping with the issues of the day with less staff, less money, often shared facilities, and frequently government entities that are somewhat less respectful of the court as being a separate branch of government?

This month we have invited clerks of court and court administrators of one and two judge courts around the country to chat about their current issues, about how they are managing those issues, and what advice they have for the rest of us.

About Our Speaker Panelists

Angie Van Schoick is the Court Administrator for the Municipal Court in the Town of Breckenridge, Colorado.  It is a position she has held since 2013.  Angie is a licensed macro level social worker in the State of Colorado and Michigan, receiving her MSW from the University of Michigan in 2007.

Saundra Berry is the Clerk of Court for the Municipal Court in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.  Saundra earned a master’s degree in business administration from Atlanta University and a bachelor of science degree in mathematics from Central State University.

Kelly S. Elliott is the Court Administrator for the Municipal Court in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.  Kelly has more than 39 years of experience in the court and legal field.  Kelly completed her Certified Court Administrator certificate in 2015 and received her Advanced Certified Court Administrator in 2019 through the Missouri Association for Court Administration.

Lindsey Forshee is the Superior Court Administrator for the Tifton Judicial Circuit in Georgia.  Lindsey graduated from the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor of Science degree in Hospitality Management in May 2018.

Danielle Trujillo is the Court Administrator for the Municipal Court in Littleton, Colorado.  Danielle is an innovative public safety professional with an exceptional ability to research and analyze complex issues and provide actionable conclusions.  Through problem solving and critical thinking she utilizes a multidisciplinary approach to bridge gaps in information and processes.   DanielIe started her career in restorative justice and love the ability to directly serve my community through local government.

IACA’s Global Conversation Podcast, Thursday, December 31, 2020

Brought to You By the: International Association for Court Administration

The Coronavirus pandemic has been a scourge across the globe. It has also been one of the longest lasting and most widespread crises in recent times. It has affected every component of government in every nation that has had to deal with COVID-19. How have court systems in different countries coped with the pandemic?  This podcast asks court leaders from around the world about issues important to the administration of justice. This episode will explore how courts around the globe have responded to the Coronavirus.

About the Co-Hosts:

Janet Cornell has over 35 years in court leadership including service in general and limited jurisdiction courts. She is a founding and contributing member to www.courtleader.net. She has a Masters in Public Administration from Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, and is a Fellow of the National Center for State Courts, Institute for Court Management in Williamsburg, VA, along with certificates from the Leader Coach Institute, Scottsdale, AZ, and the Leadership Institute for Judicial Education, Memphis, TN.

Peter C. Kiefer has served for over 40 years working with trial courts in Oregon, Arizona, and California.  He has consulted with the judicial systems in Liberia, Moldova, and Beirut, Lebanon, as well as being a member of a NACM delegation to visit the People’s Republic of China.  Peter graduated from Santa Clara University with his bachelor’s degree in Political Science, received his Master’s of Public Administration with a specialty in Court Administration from the University of Southern California, and is a Fellow of the Institute for Court Management. 

About the Panelists:

Judge Belen G. Salespara-Carasig is the Presiding Judge of the Regional Trial Court Branch 296, Paranaque City. She is an alumna of the University of Santo Tomas Facultad de Derecho Civil. Upon her graduation in 2004, she took the Bar Examinations where she garnered a general weighted average of 80.55%.  Upon her assumption into office, her Court was designated as a Special Election Court for Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Election Cases in addition to her regular case load as a MeTC Court. On top of that, her Court was also among the pilot courts for the Speedy and Continuous Trial under AM 15-06-10 SC. 

Judge Sidney H. Stein has been a United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York by appointment of the President of the United States since 1995. He received an A.B. degree from Princeton University and a J.D. degree from Yale Law School. Following his graduation, he was a clerk to the Chief Judge of the State of New York and Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals. Judge Stein was a partner in a litigation firm he founded from 1981 until his induction as a United States District Judge in 1995.

Noora Aarnio is the Senior Specialist, International Affairs, Department of Development for the National Courts Administration, in Vantaa, Finland.

Ali Shamis Al Madhani is Judge of the Dubai International Financial Center Courts (DIFC), and in April 2008 he was sworn in as a Judge of the DIFC Courts Court of Appeal. He was later appointed as a member of the Joint Committee of the Dubai Courts. H.E. Judge Ali is currently a Senior Judge of Court of Appeal and Head of International Relations of Judicial Affairs.  Judge Al Madhani began his judicial career in 1994 until 1998 as a Public Prosecutor for Dubai Public Prosecution. In 1998, he was appointed by the Ruler of Dubai to serve as a Judge in the Dubai Courts.

Thursday, December 17, 2020, Court Leader's Advantage Podcast Episode

Part two of a conversation with our panel of court administrators whose courts have endured multiple concurrent crises. They had to deal with questions of allowing protestors into the courthouse because it is a public building while worrying about vandalism. They struggled to maintain a semblance of an operation with courthouses that were closed for months at a time. They had to keep air circulation open to eliminate the Coronavirus yet close the vents to prevent breathing in wildfire smoke. We have so much to learn from their solutions they crafted.

What did they and their courts have to go through?

How are they modifying their future contingency plans?

What can we learn from what they have had to endure?

About My Co-Host:

Alyce Roberts is recently retired as Special Projects Coordinator for the Alaska Court System.  Alyce is a 2010 Fellow of the Institute for Court Management.

About Our Speaker Panelists:

Our panel includes administrators whose courts have been at the heart of ongoing and devastating crises: months-long protests, wildfires, and the Coronavirus:

Barbara Marcille is the Trial Court Administrator in the Circuit Court for the 4th Judicial District in Portland, Oregon.  She has served in a variety of roles for the courts in Oregon, New Mexico, and North Carolina, and holds a degree in Business from Florida State University.

Michael Roddy is the Court Executive Officer for the Superior Court in San Diego County, California.  Mike served as the California Administrative Office of the Courts’ Regional Administrative, Director for the Northern/Central Region, Executive Officer of the Sacramento Superior Court, and Assistant Executive Officer of the Superior Court of San Diego County,

Elizabeth Baldwin is the Court Administrator for the Municipal Court in Seattle, Washington.  Before moving to Seattle, Beth worked as the Court Administrator of the Fifth Judicial District of Iowa. Beth holds her law degree from the University of Minnesota, her MPA from the Ohio State University and her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University.

Bob Fleshman is the Court Executive Officer for the Superior Court in Napa County, California.  Bob has thirty years of public administration experience, which includes two decades in judicial administration in the California trial court system and Judicial Council of California. In addition to nearly two decades with the California judiciary, Bob spent a decade in public service at the national level in disaster recovery as well as uniformed military service.

Elizabeth Rambo is the Trial Court Administrator for the Lane County Circuit Court in Eugene, Oregon.  Liz graduated with high scholarship from Oregon State University with a BA in history and has an MBA from Portland State University.  She is a long-time member of the National Association of Court Management and holds a Court Manager certification from the National Center for State Courts· Barbara Marcille is the Trial Court Administrator in the Circuit Court for the 4th Judicial District in Portland, Oregon

Thursday, November 19, 2020, Podcast Episode

Unbelievably, the expression “we are living in unprecedented times” has become a cliché. Since early 2020, so much has happened to us, so quickly, and with so little warning that the only response anyone seems to have is “Well, now what?” Still, because so many extraordinary events have occurred this year, 2020 has much to teach us.

We are talking with court administrators whose courts have endured nightly violent demonstrations that have lasted for months, wildfires that have turned day to night and made the air unbreathable and, of course, the Coronavirus. This is part one of two episodes where our panel shares the lessons they have  experienced first-hand.

What can we learn from the experiences of these courageous court administrators, their staffs, and their courts? How will they update their Continuity of Operations Plans? What advice do they have for the rest of us?

About My Co-Host:

Alyce Roberts is recently retired as Special Projects Coordinator for the Alaska Court System.  Alyce is a 2010 Fellow of the Institute for Court Management.

About the Speaker Panel:

Barbara Marcille is the Trial Court Administrator in the Circuit Court for the 4th Judicial District in Portland, Oregon.  She has served in a variety of roles for the courts in Oregon, New Mexico, and North Carolina, and holds a degree in Business from Florida State University.

Michael Roddy is the Court Executive Officer for the Superior Court in San Diego County, California.  Mike served as the California Administrative Office of the Courts’ Regional Administrative, Director for the Northern/Central Region, Executive Officer of the Sacramento Superior Court, and Assistant Executive Officer of the Superior Court of San Diego County,

Elizabeth Baldwin is the Court Administrator for the Municipal Court in Seattle, Washington.  Before moving to Seattle, Beth worked as the Court Administrator of the Fifth Judicial District of Iowa. Beth holds her law degree from the University of Minnesota, her MPA from the Ohio State University and her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University.

Bob Fleshman is the Court Executive Officer for the Superior Court in Napa County, California.  Bob has thirty years of public administration experience, which includes two decades in judicial administration in the California trial court system and Judicial Council of California. In addition to nearly two decades with the California judiciary, Bob spent a decade in public service at the national level in disaster recovery as well as uniformed military service.

Elizabeth Rambo is the Trial Court Administrator for the Lane County Circuit Court in Eugene, Oregon.  Liz graduated with high scholarship from Oregon State University with a BA in history and has an MBA from Portland State University.  She is a long-time member of the National Association of Court Management and holds a Court Manager certification from the National Center for State Courts

Our July Court Leader’s Advantage video podcast episode on courts and protest marches has garnered considerable interest. Over 300 viewers have accessed the episode. Among those who watched the episode was Norman Meyer, Retired Clerk of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Mexico, who wrote in two questions to ask about court employees, protest marches, our first amendment rights, and the NACM Model Code of Conduct. Norman joins the episode to ask his two questions.

About the Guest Speaker:

Norman Meyer retired after serving for 38 years as a court administrator in both the state and Federal systems. Most recently, he was Clerk of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Mexico.  He is a court administration expert after a 38 year career as a trial court administrator in the state and federal U.S. courts.  He has written and spoken widely on judicial administration in the United States and abroad,  and is currently writing a court management blog (https://courtleader.net/vantage-point) as a member of the nonprofit Court Leader coalition.

Elisa Chinn-Gary, is Clerk of Superior Court and Judge of Probate for Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.  She obtained her B.A. from Winston Salem State University (magna cum laude) 1996; J.D. UNC School of Law 1999; M.A. in Social Work UNC 2000.  Elisa was an Attorney Advocate for North Carolina's Guardian Ad Litem program from 1999 to 2002; Juvenile Defender for the  Council for Children’s Rights (formerly Children’s Law Center) from 2000 to 2001; Administrator of the Mecklenburg Family Court from 2001 to 2015; and Adjunct Professor for the Charlotte School of Law from 2010 to 2015.

Sarah Brown-Clark is a 1971 cum laude graduate of Ohio University with a B.S. degree in English; she also earned her M.A. degree in English from Ohio University in 1972 and earned hours towards a Ph.D. in English from Kent State University. Currently Ms. Brown-Clark is the Clerk of the Youngstown Municipal Court, a position to which she was elected in November 1999. She is retired from Youngstown State University where she was an Associate Professor of English since 1972 and currently has Faculty Emeritus status.

Beth Baldwin has served as the Court Administrator for the Seattle Municipal Court since November, 2015. Before moving to Seattle, Beth worked for 15 years as the Court Administrator of the Fifth Judicial District of Iowa, a 16 county area including Polk County/Des Moines. Beth holds her law degree from the University of Minnesota, her MPA from the Ohio State University and her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University. 

For decades we court professionals have committed ourselves to the practice diversity and inclusion. We make this commitment to earn the public’s trust and confidence in our nation’s courts. This dedication is ongoing; the work still continues.

The goals of diversity and inclusion affirm our pledge to fairness, equity, impartiality, trust, and accountability. They also enhance decision-making, innovation, resiliency, responsiveness, employee engagement, and the delivery of services. Courts are constantly confronted by the demand for more access, the desire for equality, and the erosion of that very public trust and confidence we have pledged to earn.

What can we do to strengthen our core values? What can we do to use diversity and inclusion as a way to solve today’s problems? What do we see on the horizon for courts as they struggle to address these issues every day?

About the Co-Host:

Zenell Brown Zenell Brown, Executive Court Administrator for the Third Circuit Court in Detroit, Michigan.  She received her Juris Doctor from Wayne State University Law School; received a Public Service Administration Graduate Certificate from Central Michigan University; a Court Administration Certificate from Michigan State University; and is a Certified Diversity Professional from the National Diversity Council-DiversityFirst.

About the Panelists:

Marcia M. Anderson recently retired as Clerk of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Wisconsin.  She was employed for over 28 years with the United States Courts, serving an Operations Manager and later as the Supervisory Staff Attorney for the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York City.

Hector Gonzalez is the Court Executive Officer for the Superior Court in Tuolumne County, California.  He was born and raised in Los Angeles. He is bilingual, speaking both Spanish and English. Hector received a certificate in Judicial Administration from Cal State, Sacramento. He has a law degree from University of California-Hasting College of the Law and a BA from Loyola Marymount University.

Norman Meyer retired after serving for 38 years as a court administrator in both the state and Federal systems. Most recently, he was Clerk of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Mexico.  He is a court administration expert after a 38 year career as a trial court administrator in the state and federal U.S. courts.  He has written and spoken widely on judicial administration in the United States and abroad,  and is currently writing a court management blog (https://courtleader.net/vantage-point) as a member of the nonprofit Court Leader coalition.

Jose Octavio Guillen retired in 2017 after working for 42 years in the California Justice System. He served as court executive officer and Jury Commissioner for the Superior Courts in Sonoma, Napa, Riverside, and Imperial Counties, as well as, served as court administrator for Beverly Hills Municipal Court, district chief for Los Angeles Superior Court, trial court services director for the California Administrative Office of the Courts, and deputy sheriff for Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Over the last forty years, our nation’s courts have been committed to diversity and inclusion, in order to live up to the ideals of fairness and equality, and to build public trust and confidence. While we can point to many improvements, there is still much work to be done.

The lessons learned from diversity and inclusion practices point to benefits beyond just furthering the institutional values of fairness, equity, impartiality, trust, and accountability. They also improve decision-making, innovation, resiliency, responsiveness, employee engagement, and delivery of services.

Institutions like courts today are challenged by the spread of global pandemics, the demand for more access, the desire for more equitable outcomes, and the erosion of public trust and confidence in government.

Diversity and inclusion should be at the forefront to harness new solutions and to turn challenges into opportunities. What can we do to strengthen our institutional values and apply concrete diversity and inclusion practices to the problems we face today? What advice do we have for court administrators and clerks of court around the country dealing with these issues on a daily basis?

About the Co-Host:

Zenell Brown Zenell Brown, Executive Court Administrator for the Third Circuit Court in Detroit, Michigan.  She received her Juris Doctor from Wayne State University Law School; received a Public Service Administration Graduate Certificate from Central Michigan University; a Court Administration Certificate from Michigan State University; and is a Certified Diversity Professional from the National Diversity Council-DiversityFirst.

About the Panelists:

Marcia M. Anderson recently retired as Clerk of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Wisconsin.  She was employed for over 28 years with the United States Courts, serving an Operations Manager and later as the Supervisory Staff Attorney for the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York City.

Hector Gonzalez is the Court Executive Officer for the Superior Court in Tuolumne County, California.  He was born and raised in Los Angeles. He is bilingual, speaking both Spanish and English. Hector received a certificate in Judicial Administration from Cal State, Sacramento. He has a law degree from University of California-Hasting College of the Law and a BA from Loyola Marymount University. 

Norman Meyer retired after serving for 38 years as a court administrator in both the state and Federal systems. Most recently, he was Clerk of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Mexico.  He is a court administration expert after a 38 year career as a trial court administrator in the state and federal U.S. courts.  He has written and spoken widely on judicial administration in the United States and abroad,  and is currently writing a court management blog (https://courtleader.net/vantage-point) as a member of the nonprofit Court Leader coalition.

Jose Octavio Guillen retired in 2017 after working for 42 years in the California Justice System. He served as court executive officer and Jury Commissioner for the Superior Courts in Sonoma, Napa, Riverside, and Imperial Counties, as well as, served as court administrator for Beverly Hills Municipal Court, district chief for Los Angeles Superior Court, trial court services director for the California Administrative Office of the Courts, and deputy sheriff for Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Our July Court Leader’s Advantage video podcast episode on courts and protest marches has garnered considerable interest. Over 300 viewers have accessed the episode. Among those who watched the episode was Norman Meyer, Retired Clerk of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Mexico, who wrote in two questions to ask about court employees, protest marches, our first amendment rights, and the NACM Model Code of Conduct. Norman joins the episode to ask his two questions.

Here to respond are:

Elisa Chinn-Gary is the Clerk of the Superior Court in Mecklenburg County (Charlotte, North Carolina).  Elisa received her B.A. from Winston Salem State University (magna cum laude) 1996, her J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1999, and her M.A. in Social Work from the University of North Carolina in 2000.

Sarah Brown-Clark is the Elected Clerk for the Municipal Court (Youngstown, Ohio).  Sarah is a 1971 cum laude graduate of Ohio University with a B.S. degree in English; she also earned her M.A. degree in English from Ohio University in 1972 and earned hours towards a Ph.D. in English from Kent State University.

Elizabeth Baldwin is the Court Administrator for the Municipal Court in Seattle, Washington. Beth holds her law degree from the University of Minnesota, her MPA from the Ohio State University and her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University.