When U.S. Magistrate Judge Lajuana M. Counts speaks with students about the Judiciary, she sees future jurors, judges, lawyers, lawmakers, and – most importantly – engaged young adults who have a stake in the nation’s legal system.
“In these conversations, judges and lawyers are well-positioned to model and teach civil discourse skills that we use every day in courtrooms across the country,” said Counts, who serves in the Western District of Missouri. “Legal skills are life skills that students can take with them into many different settings, now and into the future.”
U.S. Magistrate Judge Lajuana M. Counts has candid conversations about the Constitution with students, as a part of the Federal Bar Association’s annual Civics Day.
Some 800 students in Kansas City, Missouri, participated in recent conversations about the Constitution with federal judges and attorneys, as a part of the Federal Bar Association’s (FBA) annual Civics Day.
Sept. 4 marked the fourth Civics Day, an FBA event offered to public schools in the city that is hosting the association’s annual meeting.
“We, as lawyers, are thankful to be invited into the schools when students are trying to understand contemporary legal issues and the impact of the Constitution on their lives,” said Danielle Atchison, the FBA chapter member in charge of organizing this year’s Civics Day.
Federal judges and attorneys from across the nation gathered at local high schools to facilitate candid conversations about the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and their impact on the daily lives of students. Students also shared their questions, opinions, and perspectives on current issues.
“Students come prepared with thought-provoking questions and comments that invite us to drill down into issues of concern to them,” said Andrew Loewenstein, a West Palm Beach, Florida attorney, and the national point person for the event, which started in 2020. “They want to share their opinions and ask questions about the Constitution and the federal courts.”
In December, federal judges, attorney volunteers, and court professionals also will visit classrooms, virtually and in-person, throughout the country to lead students in candid conversations programs in recognition of Bill of Rights Day, which is Dec. 15. To request a candid conversations program from a nearby federal courthouse, contact the federal courts’ national educational outreach manager, Rebecca Fanning.
The 2024-2025 Supreme Court Fellows, clockwise from top left, Joshua D. Blecher-Cohen, Elizabeth C. Adler, Samantha C. Smith, and Hope Forsyth. Images are from the collection of the Supreme Court of the United States.
Four new U.S. Supreme Court Fellows are set to begin their 2024-2025 fellowships in September.
Hope Forsyth joins the program from the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Oklahoma, where she clerked for Judge John F. Heil, III. She is assigned to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, an agency within the judicial branch that provides a broad range of management and administrative support to the federal courts.
Joshua D. Blecher-Cohen is assigned to the Supreme Court’s Office of the Counselor to the Chief Justice. He has served as a law clerk for Judge Marsha S. Berzon, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and as a law clerk for Judge Myron H. Thompson, of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama.
Samantha C. Smith joins the program from the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, where she clerked for Judge Eli J. Richardson. She is assigned to the Federal Judicial Center, which is the education and research agency for the federal courts.
Elizabeth C. Adler joins the program from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, where she clerked for Judge Eric L. Clay. She is assigned to the U.S. Sentencing Commission, which establishes sentencing policies and practices for the federal courts.
The Supreme Court Fellows Program, established by the late Chief Justice Warren E. Burger in 1973, provides participants the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of the federal Judiciary. Fellows work alongside top officials in the judicial branch on projects that further the goals of the Judiciary.
In the words of Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., the program offers “a unique opportunity for exceptional individuals to contribute to the administration of justice at the national level.”
The fellows are selected by a commission composed of nine members selected by the Chief Justice. Additional background information on each of the 2024-2025 Supreme Court Fellows and the program’s history is available online.
Fred Korematsu made history by challenging the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. Honolulu high school students experienced that history firsthand during a courtroom reenactment of Korematsu’s fight for racial justice that included the attorneys who represented him.
U.S. District Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi, left, stands alongside Fred Korematsu’s daughter and three of his attorneys during a special program at the federal courthouse in Honolulu. Credit: Steven Uejio
Karen Korematsu, executive director of the Fred T. Korematsu Institute, discusses her father’s courage throughout his legal struggle during a panel discussion at the federal courthouse in Honolulu. Credit: Steven Uejio
Dale Minami, who led a team of lawyers that persuaded a federal court to vacate Fred Korematsu’s conviction, discusses the case with students at the Honolulu federal courthouse. Credit: Steven Uejio
After watching the historic reenactment of Korematsu v. U.S., the audience asks questions about the impact of the case. Credit: Steven Uejio
Eric Yamamoto, an attorney for Fred Korematsu, discusses the importance of having a federal court vacate Korematsu’s conviction, some 40 years later. Credit: Steven Uejio
“The reenactment of Korematsu v. U.S. and the legal proceedings that vacated his conviction 40 years later brought to light the history of Asian Pacific Americans who changed the world,” said Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi, of the District of Hawaii, who led the event at the Prince Kuhio Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Honolulu. “The students learned firsthand about the impact federal courts have on the course of history and on their daily lives.”
In Korematsu v. U.S., Korematsu challenged his arrest when he tried to evade being relocated with more than 125,000 other Japanese Americans, under an order signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He lost his case in 1944, when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of excluding Japanese Americans from West Coast states. Some 40 years later, Dale Minami led a team of lawyers who were successful in having a federal court vacate Korematsu’s conviction and dismiss the underlying indictment.
“It was the case of a lifetime for someone like me to vindicate our families and community who were incarcerated in camps without due process or evidence that they presented a danger to America’s security,” said Minami. “It was an opportunity to correct the false narrative of our history, address the horrible precedents of the original cases, and lift the wrongful convictions of the courageous people who stood up against the racist military orders that led to the incarceration of more than 125,000 Japanese Americans.”
More than 80 students from three high schools witnessed local attorneys, a federal judge, and a law professor reenact Korematsu’s journey through the courts, then asked questions of panelists who included his daughter Karen Korematsu, executive director of the Fred T. Korematsu Institute, and three of her father’s attorneys, Dale Minami, Leigh-Ann Miyasato, and Eric Yamamoto.
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” Kobayashi said. “By connecting young people with individuals who have stood up against injustice through the federal court system, we hope to inform and inspire the next generation to be active participants in our democracy and in the courts.”
The program also was presented separately to more than 90 members of the state court system, including Hawaii Supreme Court justices, intermediate appellate court judges, and trial court judges, law clerks, and attorneys who practice in state courts. Law professors and law students also were in the audience.
The reenactment is one of a series developed by Second Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Denny Chin, attorney volunteer Kathy Hirata Chin, and the Asian American Bar Association of New York. The scripts allow audiences to experience history through performances based on court transcripts and other primary sources that are part of the nation’s legal history.
“All of us have seen countless courtroom dramas depicted in film and television, but sitting in the physical space of the federal courtroom and listening to judges, attorneys, and family members re-enact and discuss a case as important to the legal history of the United States as Korematsu v. U.S. was a powerful reminder that the issues contested in the case remain relevant today, and a reminder that our work to protect those at risk of marginalization cannot flag or falter,” said Josh Hernandez Morse, who heads one of the participating schools.
The two-day “Fred Korematsu and His Fight for Justice” program was co-sponsored by the Hawaii chapters of the Federal Bar Association and the National Asian and Pacific American Bar Association.
“The true measure of a civilized and democratic society is the way we treat those individuals most in need and the most vulnerable amongst us,” said Judge Donovan W. Frank, of the District of Minnesota, who participated in the event. “A significant reason why disability discrimination continues, and why so many individuals continue to stereotype people with disabilities, is that they have not met individuals with disabilities, and they have not gotten to know people with disabilities, as I have had the privilege to do. When that happens, the stereotypes fall away, and then we all benefit.
“We are hopeful that our Unfinished Journey project will end the silence of so many and remind people that disability rights are civil rights. When that happens, the discrimination and stereotyping will end, and individuals with disabilities will receive ‘equal justice under law.’”
The evening reception unveiled a set of 20 educational banner displays on the history of disability rights in Minnesota, and the opening of “I AM,” the court’s newest juried public art exhibit. The juried installation includes 15 pieces selected by federal judges and artists from the disability arts community. The evening also included spoken-word and musical performances.
Visitors learn about the history of disability rights in Minnesota through a series of educational banners on display in the lobby of the Diana E. Murphy U.S. Courthouse in Minneapolis. Credit: Stan Waldhauser
“This event told the story of how well the United States government, including its courts, and the government of the State of Minnesota, including its courts, have fulfilled their moral obligations to our citizens with cognitive impairments,” said Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz, of the District of Minnesota, who spoke at the reception. “It is a story of triumph and tragedy, and a story whose ending has not yet been written.”
The court event was co-sponsored by the Minnesota Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Minnesota Disability Bar Association, and MSS, a nonprofit organization supporting individuals with disabilities.
The educational banners will be on display in the lobby of the Murphy Courthouse until July 17, after which it will move to the Warren E. Burger Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in St. Paul. The art exhibit will be displayed at the federal courthouse in St. Paul from May 16 to July 18.
“Sadly, people with developmental disabilities have been subject to unfair labels, stereotypes, institutionalization, mistreatment, and abuse, well into the 20th century,” said retired U.S. Magistrate Judge Becky R. Thorson, who was instrumental in planning the event. “Though progress has been made, the journey is unfinished. The goal of the exhibit is to educate and inspire others to help complete the journey, so that people with developmental disabilities can thrive as vital and equal members of the community.”
Judges and program facilitators celebrate the first class of Kazen fellows during a graduation ceremony at the federal courthouse in Laredo, Texas.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña spent school breaks working on sugar beet and soybean fields to help her family keep food on the table. Working as a migrant farmworker, at age 10, made it difficult for Saldaña to find mentors who could help guide her in her pursuit of a career in law. Today, she’s helping the next generation of young people in similar situations to navigate their paths to success through the Kazen Fellowship Program.
“The fellowship aims to give students who have a hunger for knowledge, the willingness to work hard, and the drive to succeed, a mentor who can help guide them and show them that they are not alone,” said Judge Diana Saldaña, of the Southern District of Texas, who launched the six-week program in 2023. “Over the course of the program, we’ve lifted these kids up and given them the tools to be leaders in their community.”
Twenty-two high school students from Laredo, Texas, made up the inaugural cohort. The students interned at both the federal and state courthouses and took interactive courses focusing on government, civic duties, writing, and public speaking, while receiving guidance in their college application process. Fellows were coached by U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga and teams of volunteer attorneys to present and argue a case in a mock trial before a judge. The program is named in honor of the late-U.S. District Judge George P. Kazen, Saldaña’s long-time mentor on the bench.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña welcomes Kazen Fellow Odete Coss and her parents at the federal courthouse in Laredo, Texas.
“The Kazen Fellowship Program has made things possible for me,” said Kazen Fellow Odete Coss. “I once believed that no matter how hard I worked I could never achieve my goals, but Judge Saldaña showed me that is not true. The fact that so many people were pulling for me left me wanting to go and change the world and to do for others what the program did for me.”
Fellows are now passing along their knowledge to students they teach in the court’s new Middle School Citizenship Academy, a civics education program which includes four monthly lessons on the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of citizenship. The experience culminates in a mock trial and a graduation ceremony at the Laredo federal courthouse in April.
Federal judges partner with local bar associations, community groups, and schools to bring programs like these to students in the communities they serve. Last spring, U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Joseph F. Bianco and U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero, of the Southern District of New York, launched the Justice For All: After School Program in New York City. The program is named in honor of the late-U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Robert A. Katzmann and is run in partnership with the Federal Bar Council and the Harlem Educational Activities Fund.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams (left) and U.S. Circuit Judge Joseph F. Bianco (right) teach students about the federal judicial system at the Thurgood Marshall U.S. Courthouse in New York City.
“Offering a three-month course at the courthouse to high school students already interested in the law and the legal profession can be a life-changing experience, especially for students in underserved communities who might not otherwise have full access to law or career programs,” Bianco said.
Students came once a week after school to the Thurgood Marshall U.S. Courthouse, where they heard from eight federal judges and from attorneys at the top of the legal profession who discussed their careers and timely legal topics ranging from criminal investigations, prosecution, and defense to counter-terrorism activities.
“The goal of the program is to help the students understand the importance of the law in our society and give them a real-life glimpse as to how different careers in the legal profession and court system provide a unique opportunity to help others and impact the world,” Bianco said.
To find educational court programs at the nearest federal courthouse, contact the federal courts’ national educational outreach manager, Rebecca Fanning. Visit the educational resources section for additional programs and activities.
Similar court educational opportunities across the country include:
High school students in the St. Louis area participate in a new civics education program at the Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse.
Eighth Circuit Clerk of Court Michael E. Gans provides students with insights into the appellate process.
Twenty-two high school students in the St. Louis area were the first to participate in a new civics education program teaching them about the federal Judiciary through a landmark Supreme Court case that originated in their hometown and local court.
“By hosting the program in the very court where a particular case began, and then immersing the students in not only the law and facts of the case but, as importantly, the people and places, the program powerfully connects students to the factual roots the case has with the students’ hometown,” said U.S. District Chief Judge Stephen R. Clark, who kicked off the national initiative at the Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse in the Eastern District of Missouri.
The multi-day program, called The Supreme Court and My Hometown, immerses students in the analysis of facts, trials, and appeals that lead to Supreme Court decisions. During the inaugural program, students explored the constitutional questions and procedural history of Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, a 1988 free speech case involving student journalists at Hazelwood East High School in St. Louis.
The program was run in partnership with the Supreme Court Historical Society and the St. Louis Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.
“One of the primary missions of the Supreme Court Historical Society is to increase public knowledge about both the history of the Supreme Court and the federal Judiciary, and the importance of their independence,” said James C. Duff, executive director. “Students will see how issues of local and regional significance can have national impact as well. In this way, they also learn about how a case progresses to the Supreme Court and the role the federal courts play in the process.”
Students prepare for a moot court proceeding during The Supreme Court and My Hometown program in St. Louis.
By partnering with the Supreme Court Historical Society, federal courts can host unique experiences for students that may include educational sessions with legal mentors, teaching how to write a legal brief, putting on a student-led moot court proceeding of a landmark Supreme Court case that originated at the court, and more.
“Many students, especially in rural areas, believe the court system is so out of reach and that warps their perception on the system as a whole,” said Cordelia Elder, a high school student who participated in the St. Louis program. “It is necessary for students to learn this information, and it was such a privilege to learn it in the building it happens in.”
Students also complete a final project designed to promote their increased understanding of the impact of the hometown case. In St. Louis, students worked with the Eighth Circuit Library to design a panel display about Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier that includes the background of the case and the impact of the Supreme Court decision. The display will be unveiled at the St. Louis Judicial Learning Center later this year.
“To the person who walks through the doors of an imposing courthouse for his or her case, courthouses can be intimidating,” Clark said. “All the more so with the Supreme Court. The program dissipates the intimidation factor by welcoming students into the courthouse over the course of a semester and connecting them with the broad array of people who work there.”
High school student Aiyla Ahmad found The Supreme Court and My Hometown both informative and rewarding.
“I gained a very important inside perspective on our court system and also learned a lot about how a case moves through the courts and makes it to the Supreme Court,” Ahmad said. “I also discovered many different jobs in the judicial branch.”
Students can apply now for June programs in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Indianapolis, Indiana, from the Supreme Court Historical Society website. Applications are due by March 1.
To learn more about the program, contact Nicole Maffei, the director of civics education for the Supreme Court Historical Society.
First-year law students participate in the Judiciary’s Civil Discourse and Difficult Decisions at Duke Law School.
Court proceedings put a premium on decorum and civil discourse, but the skills and dispositions that set the stage start long before the attorneys and parties enter the courtroom. That is why federal judges and attorneys collaborated with Duke Law School to bring the Judiciary’s Civil Discourse and Difficult Decisions program to law students for the first time.
“Civility is a vital skill in the courtroom, the classroom, and the community,” said U.S. Magistrate Judge Shaniek Mills Maynard, of the Southern District of Florida, who helped facilitate the recent program. “It is a critical pathway to reaching consensus and agreement on important issues that have an impact on everyone and their quality of life.”
During the three-hour program in Durham, North Carolina, students identified and practiced the civil discourse skills they will need throughout their legal careers. All of Duke Law School’s roughly 240 first-year students participated in this interactive exercise with federal judges and attorney volunteers.
“Using the program for all first-year law students is a strong statement from Duke Law School that it values civility, and that professionalism is a core component of the legal profession,” said Judge Robin L. Rosenberg, of the Southern District of Florida, who presided over the event and helped launch the national initiative in 2016.
“Duke Law School is committed to providing our students with active, hands-on opportunities to practice the professional skills they’ll need as attorneys – and the ability to engage in civil discourse is one of the most important, no matter the type of practice or setting,” said Amanda Lacoff, assistant dean for academic initiatives at Duke Law School. “Participating in the Civil Discourse and Difficult Decisions program conveyed the ways that maintaining civility, especially when discussing contentious and weighty topics, will make students more effective advocates and problem-solvers, now and in the future.”
The program uses a courtroom simulation to expose students to the practice of civility and professionalism – as judges, jurors, and lawyers. Judges and attorneys opened the program by talking about their reasons for pursuing careers in the law and why civility is a critical legal and life skill, as well as a professional value and responsibility.
Students prepared for a courtroom simulation by discussing civility and setting ground rules for their interactions. Attorneys coached student advocates, who argued a fictional scenario based on the First Amendment cases Elonis v. U.S. (2015) and Counterman v. Colorado (2023). The program culminated with deliberations in which all students engaged in robust and respectful discussions.
“Participating in the civil discourse program was a really unique and insightful opportunity,” said Fernanda Yanez, a Duke Law School student who attended the event. “When thinking of the legal field, people tend to only focus on the adversarial aspect of it, but what most people don’t realize is just how important it is to be able to discuss legal issues in an orderly fashion.”
As a result of the program’s success at Duke, Federal Bar Association members in the Eastern District of North Carolina plan to host additional programs for high school students throughout North Carolina.
“This program is a perfect vehicle to introduce and reinforce civility in the law,” said Michael McAuliffe, a Florida attorney who helped facilitate the event. “I hope it proves to be a template used by other law schools.”
Civil Discourse and Difficult Decisions is a national initiative that is active in almost every federal circuit across the nation. The program, originally geared to high school students, has reached thousands of students in middle schools, high schools, and universities since it was first launched in the Southern District of Florida.
The Federal Bar Association partners with the federal courts in the implementation of the program across the country. Interested law schools may contact the federal courts’ national educational outreach manager, Rebecca Fanning at the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, to find a participating federal court.
A total of 19 employees have received the 2023 Director’s Awards, which recognize employees who have exemplified the core values, issues, strategies, and goals of the Judiciary, as expressed in its Strategic Plan.
The recipients were nominated by colleagues based on career achievements and contributions to specific projects that have benefited their home courts and the federal Judiciary as a whole.
The awards are “part of a longstanding tradition of recognizing outstanding performance, innovation, and dedication by employees throughout the Judiciary each year,” said Judge Roslynn R. Mauskopf, director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
Eight awards were granted, some to multiple employees, in three areas: Outstanding Leadership, Excellence in Judiciary Services, and the Director’s Award for Extraordinary Actions.
The Director’s Award for Outstanding Leadership is given to managerial employees who have demonstrated exceptional leadership of a project of national significance. This can include exhibiting exemplary stewardship of resources; fostering innovations that improve service; increasing workforce productivity and conserving resources; promoting public access to and awareness of the role of the Judiciary; promoting safety and security, including cybersecurity; and enhancing public trust in the Judiciary.
Director’s Awards for Excellence in Judiciary Services recognize employees who have made specific contributions to improve efficiency, operations, or effectiveness. This may include outstanding contributions in areas such as administration, technology, court support, safety and security/cybersecurity, and legal services.
The annual award program had been suspended since 2020 because of COVID-19 disruptions. Here are the 2023 Director’s Award winners and their achievements.
Outstanding Leadership
Aleksandr Usherenko, programmer and systems administrator for the Eastern District of New York, has helped devise a process that automatically feeds case outcomes into the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) for firearms-purchaser background checks.
Under Usherenko’s leadership, the court developed software to extract case-disposition forms in all criminal cases from the Judiciary’s Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) system and associated data from the Probation and Pretrial Services Automated Case Tracking System (PACTS) to create a package containing case, counts, PDF document(s), FBI number, Bureau of Prisons number, and other identifying information. The package is sent to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The DOJ matches the data received from the court and individual DOJ agencies with appropriate FBI systems to improve the ease and accuracy of criminal instant background checks.
His work, done in collaboration with the Justice Department, FBI, and the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO), has laid the foundation for a national pilot study involving eight to 10 district courts. Usherenko has developed software to simplify adoption by other courts, and the system could eventually help all 94 district courts meet the Judiciary’s obligations under the Fix NICS Act, which Congress enacted in 2018.
“The development of the Fix NICS program is a notable example of all three branches of the federal government working together to serve the American public,” wrote Brenna B. Mahoney, clerk of court for the Eastern District of New York (EDNY). “The system that Aleksandr Usherenko designed and developed will improve how case disposition information is collected and managed as part of the judicial process. … It will help to ensure the accuracy of the information that is used in background checks and NICS checks.”
Mahoney added that Usherenko “was able to build this necessary system while still performing his responsibilities as the only programmer in the EDNY, one of the largest and busiest district courts in the country.”
Excellence in Judiciary Services
Kate Padbury, former supervisory staff attorney and current assistant circuit executive for court administration for the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, and Adriana Dieringer, supervisory staff attorney for the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, greatly increased the court’s efficiency in processing cases, even as the office was reducing staff.
“By thinking outside the box and applying critical thinking to longstanding procedures, Kate and Adriana developed a well thought out plan,” wrote Kim B. Tycer, senior staff attorney for the Fifth Circuit, who nominated Padbury and Dieringer. “The results were miraculous.”
When Padbury and Dieringer assumed leadership of a new Quick Response Team, in late 2021, the court had 1,172 pending cases, which required an average of 12 months to process. By July 2022, the number of pending cases had fallen to 652, a decrease of 44 percent. Average processing time fell to four months.
Working from a broad concept laid out by Tycer, Padbury and Dieringer developed case-specific checklists that enabled the team to use a streamlined writing process for select case types. They identified case types amenable to the new process and worked to eliminate unnecessary language from the memoranda prepared for the court. Padbury and Dieringer managed a team of 10 attorneys who used the checklists to more efficiently address the relevant legal issues in each case.
“Simply put, Kate and Adriana replaced the lengthy, time-consuming briefing process with a technology-based, comprehensive checklist,” Tycer wrote. “The Quick Response Team’s success enabled the Staff Attorney’s Office to keep pace with the court and provide timely justice to all. … Kate and Adriana’s superior leadership directly caused these outstanding results.”
Excellence in Judiciary Services
The CHAP Development and Support Team, of the District of Utah Bankruptcy Court, has provided national development and support to bankruptcy judges and courts with a streamlined, flexible interface for calendaring and managing cases. During the pandemic, the CHAP Team assisted nine new courts in adopting the browser-based software while also delivering new features to increase security and support public access to virtual hearings.
The court, which developed the Chambers Automation Program (CHAP) locally, was tasked in 2008 by the Judicial Conference Information Technology Committee to make the software available to other bankruptcy courts. Today, 200 judges in 62 bankruptcy courts manage their work and court calendars using CHAP. Additionally, 38 courts use the ChapMobile App (available in iOS and Android) to provide on-demand court calendars to the public.
“Over the past three years, the Judiciary has faced numerous unprecedented challenges that have resulted in an extraordinary workload increase for the CHAP Team,” wrote Joel T. Marker, chief judge of the District of Utah Bankruptcy Court, who submitted the nomination. “The CHAP Team’s dedication to going the extra mile places them in a league of their own.”
In addition to calendaring, judges and law clerks can create bench memos, notes, and access case dockets and claims registers. Being fully integrated with the CM/ECF system, it also enables courts to offer attorneys the ability to self-schedule hearings 24/7 within specified blocks of time.
“I hesitate to think where we would have been in trying to keep operating seamlessly during the pandemic (which I believe we achieved) without CHAP,” wrote Mary Ann Whipple, chief judge for the Northern District of Ohio Bankruptcy Court, in a letter supporting the nomination.
A total of 11 staff members were named as recipients of the Director’s Award. They were Brenda Dowler, CHAP support and training manager; Jonathon Hair, CHAP product/software development manager; and nine members of the CHAP development and support team: Heather Aslett, Nancy Carter, Kent Crockett, Andrew Groenewold; David Lemmon, Ian McMurray, Jeffrey Middleton, Scott Thackeray, and Jared Vanderhoff.
Excellence in Judiciary Services
Vanessa Armstrong, director of financial integrity for the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, provides assistance and training to courts and federal public defender offices (FPDOs) in the Sixth Circuit and elsewhere in the Judiciary with audit preparation, financial and budget management, self-assessments, internal controls, process improvement, travel policy, and other areas related to management of public funds.
“The position is the only one of its kind in the Judiciary,” wrote Marc Theriault, Sixth Circuit executive, who nominated Armstrong. “Under Vanessa’s leadership, the position has become an integral support mechanism for Judiciary employees responsible for finance, budget, procurement, and internal controls. Since its inception, the program has grown from a circuit-wide position to one that has national reach.”
Armstrong, who previously served as district court clerk of court for the Western District of Kentucky, assumed her current position in January 2021.
She emails weekly updates and hosts online conversations with the AO subject matter experts. Armstrong credits the talent of and collaboration with AO employees for her ability to bring information to her constituents.
More than 1,000 Judiciary employees have signed up for Armstrong’s weekly updates, and her training videos were viewed 2,000 times in the previous year, Theriault wrote. Online conversations regularly have hundreds of viewers, on such topics as accountable-officer liability, self-assessments and cyclical audits, procurement, budget, and tenant alteration/cyclical maintenance delegations.
“Vanessa’s work is entirely focused on helping court units and FPDOs throughout the circuit (and in practice, the entire Judiciary).” Theriault wrote. “Vanessa’s work simplifying complex issues and explaining how to implement best practices to court users and FPDOs in a collaborative manner is the epitome of ‘Excellence in Judiciary Services.’”
Excellence in Judiciary Services
Victor M. Rodriguez, IT support specialist for the Middle District of Florida, created a comprehensive mobile application providing judges and employees with essential security contact information and critical notifications in the event of weather emergencies, court closures, and other urgent situations.
“This app will greatly assist the district in keeping the judges and employees of the Middle District of Florida informed and therefore safer,” wrote Elizabeth M. Warren, clerk of court for the Middle District of Florida, who nominated Rodriguez. “The Middle District of Florida courthouses handle numerous elevator entrapments, weather emergencies, and various downtown safety issues during and after hours. But the affected judges and employees rarely have security contact information at their fingertips during a time of need, resulting in preventable stress and potential danger.”
By using the location data captured on cell phones, the app can display an interactive contact card with phone numbers for local U.S. Marshals, court security, and Federal Protective Services offices whenever employees are at or near the courthouse. Rodriguez carefully designed the security application so it can easily be retooled to help other districts disseminate security information. The application is compatible with both iOS and Android devices, ensuring a wider reach and accessibility for a wide array of users.
“Mr. Rodriguez is a shining example of what the Judiciary can accomplish with hard work, ingenuity, and dedication,” Warren wrote. “Mr. Rodriguez’s unwavering dedication, technical skills, and refinements finalizing the MDFL app have demonstrated to our court that he is an exceptional employee within the Judiciary both now and for future project initiatives.”
Extraordinary Actions
Kadi Murray, intensive supervision specialist for the Middle District of Florida Pretrial Services Office, successfully prevented a suicide by a defendant who was under supervision and awaiting trial.
“Her willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty prevented an outcome that could have been devastating for the defendant and his family,” wrote Suzanne Arwady, deputy chief pretrial services officer for the Middle District of Florida, who nominated Murray.
After midnight on Oct. 6, 2022, Murray received an alert that a defendant under location monitoring supervision had traveled outside of their residence without prior approval. She immediately began calling the defendant and his family to try and determine his whereabouts. Upon getting in touch with the defendant’s father, she was able to provide him with the defendant’s exact location using GPS mapping.
The defendant’s father arrived on the scene to find his son had doused himself in gasoline and handcuffed himself to the steering wheel of his vehicle with the intention of killing himself. Simultaneously, Murray called 911 and provided them with the defendant’s GPS coordinates while the defendant’s father described the situation to her. She worked with local law enforcement to have the defendant evaluated and taken to a hospital for medical attention.
“In our line of work, we often do not get a chance to see the impact we make on the lives of the people we supervise, but this situation demonstrates a direct example of how Intensive Supervision Specialist Kadi Murray made a difference and actually saved someone’s life,” Arwady wrote.
Extraordinary Actions
Brent Willoughby, probation officer for the Southern District of Ohio, helped a man under supervised release overcome his alcohol addiction, and also helped improve trust between supervisees and probation officers systemwide.
During a Jan. 21, 2023, mentoring session for people under supervision, the man whom Willoughby helped get sober credited him for saving his life and encouraged those in attendance to “give your probation officer a chance by working to develop a trusting, honest relationship. Officers are here to listen, assist, and support.”
The man explained how Willoughby answered his late-night plea for help, dropping everything to rush over to meet him at a bar, while he was still under the influence. Willoughby listened to his troubles and developed a creative solution to get him home safely and address his substance abuse issue moving forward. The next day, Willoughby was at the man’s front door ready to help him get admitted into a treatment program.
“The individual’s testimonial was so powerful that it generated great conversations with those in attendance about what is possible between individuals on supervision and their United States Probation Officers,” said Deborah Williams, former federal defender for the Southern District of Ohio, who also attended the program.
“As a result of Brent’s extraordinary actions, the … individual is no longer abusing alcohol, which reduces the probability of engaging in new criminal conduct,” wrote Chief Probation Officer Mark Grawe and Deputy Chief Probation Officer Lisa Dopp, for the Southern District of Ohio, who nominated Willoughby.
Extraordinary Actions
Auralea L. Prince, automation specialist for the Northern District of Ohio Bankruptcy Court, provided lifesaving CPR after a man’s car crashed outside her home, while she was teleworking.
On Dec. 2, 2022, in Dorset Ohio, Prince was participating in a virtual staff meeting when, “She saw a minivan race across her front yard and crash into a field next to her house, somehow narrowly missing two trees and a pasture fence,” wrote Donald P. Hinkson, deputy clerk for the Northern District of Ohio Bankruptcy Court, who nominated Prince.
She rushed outside to assess the situation and saw an older man get out of the car. When she called to the man asking if he was all right, he collapsed onto the highway. Prince hurried back to her house to dial 911 and ran back outside to help the collapsed man. Realizing he wasn’t breathing, she began administering CPR, continuing nearly 20 minutes.
When a volunteer firefighter took over CPR, Prince continued to update the 911 dispatcher. Ten minutes later, an ambulance crew arrived and was able to restore the man’s pulse using an AED, before taking him to a local hospital for further examination.
“Lee’s decisive actions in response to this medical emergency that unfolded in her front yard and while teleworking displayed her exceptional concern for the well-being of others and the preservation of life,” Hinkson wrote. “Putting her own personal safety at risk, she administered CPR in the middle of a state highway in an effort to save the life of a person she did not know.”
Florida bankruptcy judges are on a mission to empower military veterans with financial literacy. During a series of events scheduled statewide, the judges have partnered with local legal and veterans service organizations to teach valuable skills for making educated financial decisions and avoiding deceptive credit traps.
“We have a moral obligation to help our veterans,” said Bankruptcy Judge Laurel M. Isicoff, of the Southern District of Florida, who spearheaded the effort to design a statewide initiative to provide veterans with financial literacy counseling. “I come from a family of military service. These people put their lives at risk every day to protect us. This is a way for us to help our veterans and show them our gratitude for their service.”
Bankruptcy Judge Laurel M. Isicoff (center) and a panel of financial legal experts kicked off the South Florida event by explaining how to manage personal finances.
On Nov. 4, over 20 veterans participated in a financial literacy program across South Florida. At the Legal Services of Greater Miami headquarters, Isicoff and a panel of financial legal experts kicked off the event by explaining how to manage personal finances with informed planning and decision-making. The discussion was simultaneously broadcast to event locations in Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach.
Following the broadcast, each location hosted conversations with veterans about budgeting, credit and credit cards, effective financial management tools, student loans, bankruptcy, and rights against abusive debt collection practices. Veterans also received one-on-one consultations with pro-bono attorneys to help address their financial legal problems.
“I hope attendees leave these sessions with a greater sense of control over their finances,” Isicoff said. “Financial crisis is a common area of despair among the veteran community and can lead to depression and even worse, suicide. Providing them with the skills to make educated financial decisions is vital to their well-being.”
Isicoff was inspired to create the Veterans Financial Literacy Program, which is a joint effort between the Legal Services of Greater Miami, Broward Legal Aid, Legal Aid of Palm Beach, the Florida Bar Business Law Section, and the United Way’s Mission United, after collaborating with several bankruptcy judges on a special program for the veteran community in San Diego in 2020.
This year, the project has gone statewide with support from bankruptcy judges in the Northern and Middle Districts of Florida. Additional veteran-focused financial literacy programs will be hosted on Dec. 9 at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville and at the Clark Partington law offices in Pensacola. An event also is being planned in Tampa for spring 2024.
“Just one seemingly small financial mistake can lead to lots of stress, health issues, and the bankruptcy court,” said Bankruptcy Judge Jacob A. Brown, of the Middle District of Florida, who is planning the upcoming event in Jacksonville. “We want to arm our veterans with the knowledge and skills necessary to make solid financial decisions that promote their financial stability and well-being.”
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