Court Leader's Advantage

October 15, 2024, Court Leader’s Advantage Podcast Episode

Forbes Magazine recently published an article titled “10 Biggest Business Trends Everyone Must Be Ready

1. Generative Artificial Intelligence Will Be Everywhere.

2. Demand for Interpersonal Skills

3. The Move to Sustainable Business

4. Business Resilience

5. Personalization of the Customer Experience at Scale

6. A Customer Experience Revolution

7. The Data Economy

8. The Search for Skills Solutions

9. Employees Demand Remote Work opportunities

10. The Shift to Diversity and Inclusivity

 Many court administrators appear to see artificial intelligence as an IT issue. However, it is definitely

A short time ago, the venture capital firm Andreessen

 There has also been considerable discussion about the problems with these tools.

 Hallucinations

Lack of Transparency

Appropriating Personal & Confidential Information

Bias

This month we’re looking at the court’s position on using consumer AI tools.  Is it occurring? Are courts aware of these tools?  Do we think that staff might be using

 Today’s Panel:

 Roger Rand Information Technology Manager, Multnomah County Circuit Court, Portland, Oregon

T,J BeMent District Court Administrator, 10th Judicial Administrative District, Athens, Georgia

Lori Tyack Clerk of Court, Franklin County Municipal Court, Columbus, Ohio

Dana Bartocci Human Resources & Development Director, Minnesota Judicial Branch 

Leave a question or comment about the episode at [email protected]

June 27, 2024, A Question of Ethics Conversation

Robert Granzow, Director of the Office of Judicial District Security at the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, talks about safety, security, and dealing with disabilities in the court environment.

Equal access to justice can only be realized in an environment of safety and security.  We must ensure the safety of those with and those without disabilities.

Disabilities can include, physical, traumatic, psychological, mental illness, congenital birth defects, personality disorders, addictive disabilities, as well as cultural

We live in a rapidly changing threat landscape. Courts all

Solutions include training in de-escalation and non-escalation; recognizing the signs of people in crisis; using new classes of employees such as court navigators.  We need to consider new innovative and technological solutions such as expanded use of videoconferencing,

You don’t want to miss this insightful discussion.

Joining the Conversation:

Rick Pierce - Judicial Programs Administrator, Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts

Roger Rand - IT Manager for the Multnomah Circuit Court in Portland, Oregon

Courtney Whiteside - Director of the St. Louis County Municipal Court

Stacy Worby - State Jury Coordinator for the Alaska Court System

Erika Schmid - Supervisor, Multnomah Circuit Court in Portland, Oregon

Peter Kiefer - Host of the Court Leader's Advantage Podcast Series

Creadell Webb - Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer 1st Judicial District of Pennsylvania

September 17th, 2024 Court Leader’s Advantage Podcast Episode

The world-renowned technology advisory firm, The Gartner Group, has come out with its Nine Future Work Trends for 2024. These are trends that Gartner has said will reshape the future of work. They are driven by the need to attract and retain top talent, reduce operational costs, and enhance productivity.  The trends are:

· Skills Will Become More Important than Degrees and Certificates in Recruitment and Selection

· Career Stereotypes Will Collapse in the Face of a Changing Workforce

· Employee Conflict Resolution will be the Next “Must Have” Management Skill

· The “Cost of Work” Crisis Will Reach a Breaking Point as employees calculate the cost of traveling every day to and

· The Four-Day Workweek Becomes Routine

· We will stop talking about DEI.  It just becomes the Way We Work

 · Generative Artificial Intelligence Experiments Will Likely Yield Hard Lessons & Painful Costs.  These experiments will emphasize the need for good training on how to use Generative AI. 

· Artificial Intelligence Will Create Work Opportunities.  Entirely new classes of specialists will be needed to effectively use AI

· Climate Change Protection Will Become the New “Must-Have” Employee Benefit. 

 In this episode we are going to take a look at the job skills of the future and how we are going to find candidates that possess them.  We will look at the shifting focus from degrees and certificates to skills and competencies.   This approach will allow for a more inclusive and diverse workforce by valuing practical skills and experience over formal education and training. 

Today’s Panel

· Hilarie Gaylin Certified Coach, Trainer, Facilitator, and Organizational Consultant

· Tim Rupert, Human Resource Officer, Municipal Court,

· Jason James, Court Administrator, Municipal Court, Dalton, Georgia

· Dana Bartocci, Human Resources & Development Director Minnesota Judicial Branch Saint Paul, Minnesota

· Jamie Velazquez, Organizational Development Analyst, Superior Court, Orange County, California

August 20th 2024 Court Leader’s Advantage Podcast Episode

The 2024 NACM annual conference brought together court professionals from across the country to share best practices, address common challenges, and discover

This month we are asking young court professionals the question, “What was your biggest takeaway from this

 Today’s Panel      

MiHa Kapaki, Court Administrator, District Court, Grays Harbor County, Washington 

Samantha Wallis, Deputy Trial Court Administrator, Supreme Court, Coeur D’Alene, Idaho

July 16th, 2024, Court Leader’s Advantage Podcast Episode

In previous podcasts, we have discussed the unprecedented hiring crunch facing our country. 

 Despite robust economic recovery efforts, employers in general and courts in particular are struggling to fill empty

Panelists on previous episodes have suggested

This month we will take a deeper dive into how courts are scrambling to recruit and retain skilled

Today’s Panel

Richard Abbott, Program Director for Juvenile & Family Services at the Administrative Office of the Courts in Annapolis, Maryland

Keenon Simmons, Chief Probation Officer for the Superior Court in Atlantic & Cape May Counties, New Jersey

Patricia Norwood-Foden, District Court Administrator for the 15th Judicial District in Chester County, Pennsylvania,

Jamie Velazquez, Organizational Development Analyst for the Superior Court in Orange County, California

June 18th Court Leader’s Advantage Podcast Episode

Civil filings are falling.  They have been for some time.  In fact, most court filings have been on a slow decline.  In 2018, The National Center for State Courts put out a bulletin stating that nationally every major case category had declined from 2008 to 2016.

There are indications that in some states (California for example), the decline in civil filings started as far back as 1980.  This gradual decline seems little affected by economics, court organization, the presence or absence of court self-help centers, the state of the local bar, the type of case management system the court uses, or the amount of filing fees charged.  With the possible exception of Texas, this decline appears widespread.  This inevitably leads to the critical yet unanswered question “Why is this happening?”

This month we’re talking about a new book just out by Alan Carlson and John Greacen called What is Happening to State Trial Court Civil Filings?  We will explore questions including:

· Why didn’t we court professionals see this coming a long time ago?

· Are there changes in our society that are leading to changes in how people view the courts?

· Do we have any idea how people are getting their disputes resolved if it is not by going through the courts?

· Are courts actually ready to do the work to find out what is happening with filings?

Today’s Panel

 Alan Carlson: retired court administrator of the Superior Court in Orange County, California;

John Greacen: nationally known consultant on courts and court administration;

Marcus Reinkensmeyer: Deputy State Court Administrator for the Arizona Administrative Office of the Courts.

March 28, 2024, A Question of Ethics Conversation

Join Kevin Bowling as we discuss the ethical issues surrounding the burgeoning topic of courts’ use of artificial intelligence (AI).  Kevin discusses a definition of AI and specifically generative AI, existing practical uses in the courts, some misuses of IA, the need for policy and data governance, ethics issues, and the need for transparency to promote public trust and confidence.

 Kevin also publicly acknowledges the work of Roger Rand and Casey Kennedy, the entire Joint Technology Committee, as well as gives a sneak peek of the, soon-to-be-released, NACM AI Guide.

Moderator

 Kevin Bowling, Retired Circuit Court Administrator, Ottowa County, Michigan

Joining in the Conversation   

 Courtney Whiteside Director, Municipal Court, St. Louis, Missouri

Creadell Webb: Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Erika Schmid, Supervisor, Multnomah County Circuit Court, Portland, Oregon

Stacy Worby: State Jury Coordinator, Alaska Court System, Anchorage

May 21st Court Leader’s Advantage Podcast Episode

Although they are not universally accepted, court self-service centers can help prepare self-represented litigants to navigate the exotic terrain of the courtroom.  They can also expedite court proceedings and weed out inappropriate arguments.  Less obvious but equally as important, the information these centers provide helps boost the public’s trust and confidence in the courts. We well know that the public’s perception of courts has been woefully lagging over these last several years.      

  A basic tenet of self-service centers, in fact, a tenet of all public-facing court staff is “we cannot give legal advice.”  Yet this prohibition is more nuanced than it

 This episode presents several situations in which self-represented litigants often find themselves.  These are situations that do not immediately appear to involve giving legal advice.  Rather they seem, on their face, procedural.  But they are obscure enough that only individuals who have been in the system might know their implications.      

 Today’s Panel

 Nathan Devries, Supervising Attorney, Self-Help Services Unit, Superior Court, San Bernardino, California;

Robby Southers, Managing Attorney for the Self-Help & Dispute Resolution Center, Franklin County Municipal Court in Columbus, Ohio;

Jena Elsnes, Program Manager, Minnesota Judicial Branch’s Self-Represented Litigant Program;

Danielle Trujillo Court Administrator for the Municipal Court, Littleton, Colorado

January 25, 2024, A Question of Ethics Conversation Episode

Welcome to the latest episode of A Question of Ethics

We are all dedicated to fairness and take it seriously, Canon1.3 of NACM’s Model Code for Court Professionals speaks to fairness.  It reads that the court professional makes the court accessible and conducts his or her business without bias or prejudice. The Model Code actually mentions Fairness nine different times.

Fairness, however, is subjective. Everyone has their own

Employees often express perceptions of fairness, with which we, as managers, might disagree. Although not all employees hold these perceptions, they are common

This Conversation recounts three specific perceptions that some employees have. The panel will discuss if there is some sort of response that could persuade employees of the validity of a different concept.  In essence, is there a response that might change “hearts and minds?”   

·        

A manager needs to be able to perform the desk work of every employee he or she manages. If he or she cannot, that manager has no right to conduct performance

·        

Managing employees is just using common sense. 

·     

The employee’s manager is not the employee’s friend.  If an employee gets into trouble at work and they need an advocate.  The manager will not save them.

Today’s Moderator

Peter Kiefer: Host of the Court Leader’s Advantage Podcast Series

Samantha Wallis: Deputy Trial Court Administrator, Supreme Court, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

Creadell Webb: Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer; First Judicial District, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Stacy Worby: State Jury Coordinator, Alaska Court System, Anchorage

Rick Pierce: Judicial Programs Administrator, Administrative Office of the Courts, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

 Join the Question of Ethics Conversation held after the Ethics Subcommittee meetings every fourth Thursday of the month at 2:00 ET.

Email us at: [email protected]

April 16th Court Leader’s Advantage Podcast Episode

It may have started with the advent of no-fault divorce in the 1970s.  But the numbers of litigants representing themselves in court has regularly increased year after year.  This fact has presented a challenge for the community and for courts.  People pursuing legal matters in court and who have limited legal experience are at a decided disadvantage.  They are at greater risk of ending up with an unfortunate (or maybe even a disastrous) outcome.  Likewise, unschooled self-represented litigants in a courtroom can be time-consuming and lead to uncomfortable situations for litigants, judges, and court staff.

  As a result, many courts around the country have created centers to assist self-represented litigants in pursuing their cases and appearing in court.  The presence of court self-service centers is a mixed bag.  Not all courts have them and the centers themselves can range from the very modest to the very extensive.  This month we’re going to look at self-service centers.  Some questions we are looking into include:

·  What do the varieties of centers look like?

·  Are the costs of running them worth the benefits?

·  What are the criticisms of the centers and what is the response?

· What advice do our panelists have for courts considering starting a center and for courts that already have one?

Today’s Panel

Angela Polk, Supervisor of the Legal Resource Center for the Multnomah County Circuit Court in Portland, Oregon

Kristi Cox, Chief Deputy County Clerk for the 44th Circuit Court in Howell, Michigan

Salvador Reynoso Managing Attorney for the Self-Help Services Unit of the Superior Court in San Bernardino, California

Robby Southers Managing Attorney for the Self-Help and Dispute Resolution Center, Franklin County Municipal Court, Columbus, Ohio