Judicial Education Overview

Judicial Education Mission Statement

The Mission of the Judicial Education Unit is to promote the competency and professionalism of the Nevada Judiciary and staff through a comprehensive system of continuing education and training.

Judicial Education Overview

The task of maintaining judicial competence depends on the willingness of the judiciary itself to assure that its members are knowledgeable and skilled in the study of the law and its development, and that judges are trained in the application of legal principles and the art of judging. The personnel employed within the judicial system must also maintain a high level of competence to assist judges in carrying out their responsibilities and to provide accurate and timely services to the public. Proper administration of justice can be accomplished through education. It increases efficiency, innovation and effectiveness to the benefit of the people of Nevada. Judicial education is a primary means of advancing judicial competency and building public trust and confidence in the judiciary.

Continuing education requirements are mandated by statute and Supreme Court order for all Nevada judges (see Judicial Education Requirements) including those approved by the Judicial Council of the State of Nevada (see Judicial Education Policies V.B.). Additionally, there are continuing legal education (CLE) requirements for attorney judges to maintain their Nevada license. These requirements are mandated by the State Bar of Nevada.

Under the direction of the Administrative Office of the Courts, the Judicial Education Unit staff coordinates in-person seminars and conferences, and computer-based trainings which cover a broad range of subjects, from specific substantive and procedural areas of the law, to law and literature, and management, communication, and professionalism. Faculty include distinguished jurists, legal scholars and others having expert knowledge in matters of importance to the judicial function.

Judicial Education works with the Judicial Council of the State of Nevada (JCSN) Education Committee, the primary policymaking body of the judges, and other educational committees of judges, court administrators, and court staff to offer these trainings. These committees are important to judicial branch education for development of judicial education policies and procedures, needs assessments, resource identification and allocation, curriculum development, programming, and evaluation.

Supreme Court of Nevada approved educational programs are funded with administrative assessment fees (NRS 176.059). Nevada judicial, non-judicial and court personnel are also encouraged to seek funding through other resources such as local training budgets, scholarships, etc. See Judicial Education Policies, for eligibility of, request for, and reimbursement of educational program related expenses. (Expenditure Request (ER) procedures.)

Judicial Education Programs

In-Person Seminars and Conferences

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The Judicial Education Unit plans and coordinates the Annual District Judge Seminar, the Annual Family Law Judges Conference, the Semi-Annual Limited Jurisdiction Judges Seminars, New Judge Orientation, and the Nevada Judicial Leadership Summit, which happens every four years. In addition, the Unit supports specialty programs such as the biennial Court Staff Conference, Specialty Court Conference, Court Improvement Conference, and Supreme Court staff development.

These seminars and conferences cover a broad range of subjects, including specific substantive and procedural areas of the law and management, communication, and professionalism. Faculty are subject matter experts and include distinguished jurists, legal scholars and others having expert knowledge in matters of importance to the judicial function.

The seminars and conferences also afford the opportunity for judges, court personnel and other stakeholders to network across their discipline and the judicial system as a whole, with the resulting public benefit of competent and fair administration of justice.

Distance Learning

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The Distance Education Program fosters the Judicial Education’s mission by use of technology to support innovative and accessible learning approaches that extend educational opportunities. This is accomplished through webinars, self-paced on-line training, videoconferencing, videos, courses, and written correspondence. The distance learning environment facilitates the sharing of expertise, practice, and resources in continuing judicial education and maximizes accessibility to judicial education training and resources by removing the barriers of location and time, and in most cases, cost. The opportunity to learn new and review current information valuable to maintaining the integrity of Nevada’s state judicial system is limitless through distance education.

As with in-person seminars and conferences, distance learning opportunities cover a broad range of subjects, including specific substantive and procedural areas of the law and management, communication, and professionalism. Faculty are also subject matter experts and include distinguished jurists, legal scholars and others having expert knowledge in matters of importance to the judicial function.

Although not a traditional networking format, faculty and peer interaction opportunities are accomplished through video, telephone and on-line by way of chat, blogs and discussion boards.

Judicial Education Staff

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