The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) awarded Katherine R. Malzahn-Bass, Court Improvement Program Coordinator for the Supreme Court of Nevada, the 2019 Innovator of the Year award for her efforts on Nevada’s Statewide Juvenile Dependency Mediation Program. She was recognized at the NCJFCJ’s 82nd Annual Conference highlighting innovative topics, social issues and solutions to the challenges facing the juvenile and family court system.

Pictured from left to right: Katherine R. Malzahn-Bass, Nevada Supreme Court Justice Nancy Saitta (Ret.), Washoe County’s Judge Egan Walker, and NCJFCJ CEO Joey Orduna Hastings.Pictured from left to right: Katherine R. Malzahn-Bass, Nevada Supreme Court Justice Nancy Saitta (Ret.), Washoe County’s Judge Egan Walker, and NCJFCJ CEO Joey Orduna Hastings.

The Innovator of the Year Award honors an active, in-good-standing NCJFCJ member who has inspired, sponsored, promoted or led an innovation or accomplishment of national significance in juvenile justice, child abuse and neglect, family law, and/or domestic violence.

With a vision to create a mediation program for families, Malzahn-Bass created the first pilot mediation program, secured funding and eventually implemented the Statewide Juvenile Dependency Mediation Program to every judicial district in Nevada. With more than 900 mediations, her continued efforts have helped improve outcomes in the 432B/Neglect Abuse cases. According to NCJFCJ studies, dependency mediation improves outcomes for children and increases the likelihood of family reunification.

About the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ): Founded in 1937, the Reno, Nev.-based National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, is the nation’s oldest judicial membership organization and focused on improving the effectiveness of our nation’s juvenile and family courts. A leader in continuing education opportunities, research, and policy development in the field of juvenile and family justice, the 2,000-member organization is unique in providing practice-based resources to jurisdictions and communities nationwide.