july 7-18, 2008

COURSE OBJECTIVES: This seminar provides an in depth study of the principles and techniques for the development and administration of a modern, efficient, fair and transparent court system. References will be made to the experience of judges and court officers in the United States as a basis for discussion. The seminar will also include presentations on case management for the efficient processing of cases through the courts. The seminar agenda will include site visits to local federal and state courts and court support institutions to illustrate best practices or alternative approaches to the topics discussed.

COURSE OUTLINE

Basic Concepts and Principles

• Overview of the United States legal system and its component court systems
• The role of an independent judiciary in trial and appellate courts
• Court structures
• Fundamental principles of judicial management and court administration

General Issues of Judicial and Court Administration

• Court administration at the national level-court administration at the regional and local level
• Securing the independence of the judiciary through administration
• Judicial leadership
• The role of the judge as manager
• Non-judicial court management
• Judicial and court staff integrity: ethics and codes of conduct for judges and court managers

Specific Issues of Judicial and Court Administration

• Court governance
• Budget and finance
• Space and facilities-legislative and public affairs
• Statistics
• Judicial education and court staff training
• Strategic and long range planning

Case Management

• Case management principles and practices
• Evaluation of court procedures and case processing
• Developing a case management plan
• Implementing a case management plan and establishing a case management system
• Technology for case management
• An efficient clerk's office: filing and other systems