New Community Outreach Effort in Full Swing in Western Washington



Ninth Circuit Judge Richard Tallman

speaks with teachers

The United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, which has courthouses in Seattle and Tacoma, established a community outreach committee in 2011.  The committee has set about establishing collaborative relationships with local bar associations and law schools and retained the services of a noted attorney-educator to help design outreach programs.  The committee also is contributing to the development of the court’s new Internet website, which is scheduled to launch in the fall of 2012.



Teachers chat with District Judge

Robert Lasnik

So far, the committee’s efforts are focused on educating educators about the law and role of the judiciary. The court held a Judicial Institute for High School on June 27-29, 2012, and an iCivics Institute for Middle and Junior High School Teachers on July 18-20, 2012, both at the federal courthouse in Seattle.  Some 60 teachers from the western half of the state participated in the programs.  The court used funds collected from attorney admissions fees to reimburse attendees for lodging and travel expenses.  There was no charge for the programs, and teachers earned continuing education credits.

The Judicial Academy helped teachers to better understand the U.S. Constitution, the federal and state judiciaries, and federal issues including immigration, federal criminal law and civil rights.  The program for middle and junior high school teachers focused on how to make use of the iCivics program started by retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, which is available online at http://www.icivics.org/.

The court is planning its first Constitution Day event with programs in Tacoma on September 17, 2012, and Seattle on September 19, 2012.  Both programs will bring fourth- and fifth-grade students to the courthouse for a tour, a mock trial sponsored by the Federal Bar Association, and a visit with a judge.  The committee also has worked with the FBA to establish a Federal Civil Rights Legal Clinic, open one day per week in Seattle.

The committee is being aided by Margaret Fisher, an attorney with over 30 years of full-time experience educating the public in the law.  She is currently a Distinguished Practitioner in Residence at the Seattle University School of Law and works part-time for the Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts to develop programs and curricula for the judiciary to educate the public in the law.  She is also the Washington State coordinator for the iCivics program.

For questions the Western District of Washington outreach programs, please contact:

Bill McCool

District Court Executive/Clerk of Court

U.S. District Court

Western District of Washington

(206) 370-8430

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Arizona Legal Foundation Honors Ninth Circuit Judge

Arizona Legal Foundation Honors Ninth Circuit Judge



Judge Murguia speaking to students



Judge Mary H. Murguia of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit was honored in June by the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services and Education.  She received the foundation's Mark Santana Law-Related Education Award at a June 21 luncheon in Phoenix.  She is the first federal judge to receive the award, which recognizes exceptional contributions by members of the Arizona bench and bar in furthering education and understanding of the role of the law in our democratic society.

Judge Murguia was recognized for her work with the Kids to Court/CourtWorks program, which provides young people with a firsthand look at the courts through a visit to the Sandra Day O'Connor U.S. Courthouse in Phoenix.  Nearly 2,000 youngsters have participated in the program, which includes a mock trial, and presentations by judges, attorneys, court staff and law enforcement officers.

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Los Angeles Bankruptcy Court Has Most Self-Filers

Judges and staff at the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California are taking a hard look at ways to better serve people who file for bankruptcy without a lawyer while having little or no understanding of the process and procedures.  The court, which serves more than 18 million people in seven Southern California counties, reported 38,098 filings by self-represented debtors last fiscal year.  That’s 30 percent of the total of self-represented bankruptcy filers nationally, and more than all of the other bankruptcy courts in the western states combined.

Court statistics show that a self-represented debtor is almost eight times more likely to have his or her Chapter 7 case dismissed than a debtor represented by counsel.  The odds are even worse in Chapter 13 cases, which are often filed by homeowners seeking to avoid foreclosure.  A self-represented debtor has less than a 1-percent chance of successfully completing a Chapter 13 bankruptcy.

More information here.

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Courthouse Exhibits in Los Angeles

Sketch from Michael Jackson trial

The United States District Court for the Central District of California has opened historical exhibits at its two courthouses in downtown Los Angeles. 

The Spring Street courthouse features exhibits on the “Office of the Clerk of Court – Past and Present” and the “Artistic Depictions of Spring Street Courtroom Proceedings," features an historical overview of various career opportunities available in the clerk’s office.  Another exhibit, “Artistic Depictions of Spring Street Courtroom Proceedings,” features trials of well-known musicians including the late Michael Jackson, Rapper Suge Knight, Michael Bolton, Paula Abdul, Lionel Richie, and Mike Love of The Beach Boys.  Their trials ranged from copyright disputes to parole violation hearing.

 

Another exhibit in the Roybal Federal Building on Temple Street features courtroom artist sketches of infamous trials including the “Millenium Bomber,” Anna Nicole Smith’s bankruptcy hearing, Michael Jackson and Rodney King’s civil trials.

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Idaho Court Hosts 'Resolution Roundup'

Volunteer judges and mediation experts spent a week helping Idahoans involved in federal court cases resolve their cases in an alternative way, and avoid lengthy trials. The United States District and Bankruptcy Court, District of Idaho, partnered with the Ninth Circuit Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee to host the “Resolution Roundup.” Susie Boring-Headlee, who’s organizing the program locally, said 30 cases were chosen during the program, held in early April in Boise.

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2012/04/01/2059108/idaho-court-hosts-pro-bono-mediation.html#storylink=cpy

Chief District Judges Discuss Community Outreach

During a January 12-13, 2011, meeting in San Diego, chief judges of each of the 15 judicial districts in the Ninth Circuit learned about someo f the community outreach programs being used by federal courts. The program featured presentations on Law Week activities in Guam, the CourtWorks! program in Phoenix, Arizona, and an automated speaker bureau system used by the federal court in Seattle.

Judge Janis L. Sammartino of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California attended the meeting as a respresentative of the Ninth Circuit Courts and Community Committee. Judge Sammartino discussed the Courts & Community website and the upcoming publication of a printed newsletter for judges and court staff.

Check out http://community.ca9.uscourts.gov/ for more information, including organizational materials, for the programs mentioned above and others.

Message from the Chair

By Hon. Michael R. Hogan, Senior Judge
U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon

We are focused on programs and activities involving all of the federal courts – appellate, district and bankruptcy – in nine western states and two Pacific Island jurisdictions. Since 2001, we have been working with the media to improve news coverage of the courts, and with judges, lawyers and educators to promote community outreach programs that increase public understanding of and confidence in our judicial system. Committee members include federal judges, members of the federal bar, professional journalists and court staff.

We want to inform the public about the many worthwhile community outreach efforts being undertaken by our federal courts. And we want to make it easier for judges and court staff to engage in community outreach by providing information on how various programs and activities are organized and implemented. This “how to” information is available by type of program and may include contact information for the organizers.

Please feel free to contact us by email at community@ce9.uscourts.gov This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or speak with David Madden in the Office of the Circuit Executive (415) 355-8930.
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