National Association for Presiding Judges and Court Executive Officers

Two centuries of law guide legal approach to modern pandemic

As COVID-19 continues its assault on the country, residents in more than 10 states have been ordered to stay home and businesses, including restaurants, health clubs and entire malls, have been closed as governors nationwide take extraordinary steps in an effort to protect public health. Under what legal authority do such orders fall – and are there legal limits on government actions during a health emergency?

Leading during a Crisis

When things are going well, it’s pretty easy being a court leader. Operations are going according to plan, caseloads are managed reasonably well, and there are no tricky decisions to make about work assignments, services, staff or budgets. It is still possible to screw things up, but a rising tide tends to lift all boats, or in our case, all court leaders. It is in a crisis that leaders show their mettle. Judges and staff will look to leaders for direction. Sometimes, as with the covid-19 pandemic, the problem will be something few bosses could have reasonably anticipated. Now, they are expected to chart a steady course within days as the crisis continues to unfold.

Court on wheels, virtual hearings roll out as Utah justice system grapples with coronavirus

Those answering criminal charges at Salt Lake City’s municipal courthouse Friday morning were redirected to the curb. They stepped up to the open side door of a humming, expansive RV now known as Courtroom 6. The defendants stood at the threshold one at a time as they spoke to a judge perched on a bench inside. The courtroom on wheels, now in its first week, is serving up justice food-truck style.

Existing Guides to Operations and Legal Issues during a Pandemic Useful Tools for Trial Court Leaders

Through an SJI grant, a Pandemic and Emergency Response Task Force was created in December 2014, to help courts better prepare for the complex legal issues that public health crises present. Two years later, a report and guide by the National Center for State Courts entitled “Preparing for a Pandemic: An Emergency Response Benchbook and Operations Guidebook for State Judges and Court Administrators” was published.

Training for nonlawyers to provide legal advice will start in Arizona in the fall

The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law has started a two-year pilot project that licenses a small group of nonlawyers to give limited legal advice on civil matters stemming from domestic violence. The individuals will be known as licensed legal advocates and trained to provide legal advice on topics including protective orders, divorce, child custody, consumer protection and housing, according to a Monday news release.

Online courts, the future of justice and being bold in 2020

Ari Kaplan recently spoke with Richard Susskind, who has worked on technology for lawyers since 1981. Susskind is the author of a newly released book, Online Courts and the Future of Justice, among many others, including The End of Lawyers? and The Future of the Professions. Susskind is also a speaker and independent advisor to major professional firms and national governments. He was the keynote speaker at the National Center for State Courts’ 2019 Court Technology Conference in New Orleans. His main area of expertise is the future of professional legal services and, in particular, the way in which IT and the internet are changing the work of lawyers.

NAPCO Trial Court Leadership Guides Launched

The NAPCO Board of Directors, meeting in Minneapolis in August 2019, authorized the development of a series of briefing papers for presiding judges, court executives and court leadership teams that review and capsulize each day-long, interactive Leadership Academy Day seminar presented at the Association’s annual conferences.

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