NAPCO membership is open to presiding, chief and leadership judges, court executives and others …
Read more →Save the Date! NAPCO Conference • Wilmington, Delaware • August 16-19, 2026
Read more →When the conversation ended, I simply stared into space, stunned. I must have misheard the official from the U.S. Agency for International Development. This can’t be happening to me, I thought. “We would like you to accompany Justice Sandra Day O’Connor on her trip to Mongolia this fall to support democratic reforms,” he said.
Public officials across the country took oaths of office during the opening weeks of 2025. Each swore or affirmed their commitment to faithfully execute their duties and to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. Can the citizens they serve rely on them to stay true to their oaths? Will their actions principally be guided by our Constitution and enacted laws? More and more Americans have lost faith that they will do so. But based on decades of experience as a trial judge, I believe jury trials are models for attaining higher levels of truthfulness by public servants and reliable outcomes in government.
The American Bar Association’s annual Survey of Civic Literacy report assesses public knowledge of our nation’s laws and principles as well as public opinion of law-related current events. This year’s survey (2025) assessed public attitudes about the state of democracy and the rule of law.
The current political environment may be an exceptional chance to see our system of government in action and understand “separation of powers” and the role of the federal judiciary.
On the evening of June 1st, as polls closed, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum hailed the historic vote to elect the country’s judiciary as “a complete success.” There are few measures whereby that could be said to be true. Turnout was a paltry 13%. Of the ballots that were cast, more than 20% were spoiled or left blank. But in one way the election was certainly a triumph: it has consolidated the grip of Morena, Ms. Sheinbaum’s ruling party, over the third branch of government—and over Mexico as a whole.
The Gordon “Gordy” Griller Award for Excellence in Court Leadership is given annually by the National Association for Presiding Judges and Court Executive Officers to a person or persons who demonstrate leadership, innovation, and access to justice for all.
Life’s decisions are awash in daily negotiations observe Harvard professors Roger Fisher and William Ury in their seminal book, Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In. Like it or not, we are all negotiators: two lawyers try to settle a lawsuit; court leaders engage in budget discussions; a new discovery processes upsets some judges; or a court leader deals with a disgruntled staffer.
