Judicial Outreach

Features

Courts & Judiciary

The Importance of Judicial Outreach in Our Time, and Its Connection to a Divided Past

By Mark O’Halloran, Carolyn A. Dubay, and Melissa Aubin

To defend our democracy in this time of division among citizens, lawyers and judges can help rebuild the fundamental principles of civic discourse and respect for our government institutions through educating the public about the rule of law.

Courts & Judiciary

Searching for the Future

By Judge Richard L. Fruin Jr.

Twenty years ago, Judge Fruin helped change the way courts think about judicial outreach. His book Judicial Outreach on a Shoestring has served as a manual for effective ways judges can help educate the public about the work of the courts, contributing to increased public trust and confidence in our justice system.

Courts & Judiciary

Maintaining Public Commitment to the Rule of Law

By Judge Russell Carparelli (Ret.)

Many forces in contemporary society foster cynicism regarding the America’s courts and rule of law. Judges and lawyers have a unique professional and civic responsibility to counter this cynicism, promote public trust in our judicial system, and preserve public commitment to fair and impartial courts.

Courts & Judiciary

Be the Change

By Judge Katherine Beaumont Kern

Media and negative experiences may result in a mistrust of courts and the law. Judges are uniquely qualified to combat these perceptions by engaging in outreach with the public, educating them about the courts, and hopefully erasing the divide between those on the bench and those in front of it.

Rule Of Law

Judicial Outreach in the Courthouse: How a Learning Center Can Teach the Rule of Law

By Judge Nannette A. Baker

The award-winning Judicial Learning Center at the Thomas F. Eagleton Courthouse in St. Louis is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. The JLC hosts roughly 5,000 visitors a year and contains mock courtrooms, interactive exhibits, a museum of noteworthy cases, and a space dedicated to the history of the judiciary.

Courts & Judiciary

Appeals on Wheels: Traveling Oral Arguments Boost Public Outreach

By Joseph H. Merrick and Judge Margret G. Robb

The Indiana Court of Appeals developed a traveling oral arguments program, known as “Appeals on Wheels,” in 2001 and since has held over 500 oral arguments at venues across Indiana. The program allows Hoosiers to learn about the appellate process and see the court’s judges at work.

Rule Of Law

Judicial Outreach: The Massachusetts Experience

By Judge Paul D. Wilson

Judge Wilson shares judicial outreach techniques that work for judges in Massachusetts, including participation in the ABA’s National Judicial Outreach Week, in-person and video presentations held inside and outside the courthouse, and events aimed at hearing from and educating the public.

Civic Education

A Revolution That Doesn’t Offend Anyone: The ABA Guidelines for the Appointment and Use of Special Masters in Civil Litigation

By Merril Hirsh

At the ABA Midyear Meeting in January 2019, the House of Delegates approved guidelines to appoint special maters in federal and state courts to help supplement judicial responsibilities.

Technology Column

Courts & Judiciary

Cryptocurrency: The Next Step in the Noncash Era?

By Judge Herbert B. Dixon Jr. (Ret.)

Judge Dixon discusses the creation and use, and ups and downs, of cryptocurrency and ends with the question of whether cryptocurrency will ever rival the general acceptance of other noncash options such as checks, credit cards, and mobile payment apps.

Ethics Column

Courts & Judiciary

Promoting the Independence, Integrity, and Impartiality of the Judiciary

By Marla N. Greenstein

The current threats to judicial independence have given judicial outreach an urgent and compelling purpose, one in which judges isolated behind the bench transform into respected and visible community leaders.

American Bar Association TM American Bar Association

Judicial Outreach

The Importance of Judicial Outreach to Judges and Lawyers—Personally and Professionally

Features

The Importance of Judicial Outreach in Our Time, and Its Connection to a Divided Past

Searching for the Future

Maintaining Public Commitment to the Rule of Law

Be the Change

Judicial Outreach in the Courthouse: How a Learning Center Can Teach the Rule of Law

Appeals on Wheels: Traveling Oral Arguments Boost Public Outreach

Judicial Outreach: The Massachusetts Experience

A Revolution That Doesn’t Offend Anyone: The ABA Guidelines for the Appointment and Use of Special Masters in Civil Litigation

Technology Column

Cryptocurrency: The Next Step in the Noncash Era?

Ethics Column

Promoting the Independence, Integrity, and Impartiality of the Judiciary