Volume 23, No. 3 December 2012 

E-SJI NEWS SJI NEWS

In this Issue 

Human Trafficking 

Collaborative 

1 

LEP and the State 

Courts 

2 

 

 

FY 2013 First Quarter 

Grant Awards 

2 

NAWJ Training on 

Immigration and 

Human Trafficking 

2 - 3 

Page 1 

During the 1st quarter meeting, the Board approved a 

$700,000 Strategic Initiatives Grant (SIG) to the 

Center for Public Policy Studies/The National Judicial College/Center for Court Innovation (CPPS/NJC/

CCI) to form a Human Trafficking and the State 

Courts Collaborative focused on 4 strategic priorities: 1) increasing understanding and awareness 

about the challenges faced by state courts in dealing 

with cases involving trafficking victims and their 

families, and traffickers; 2) developing and testing 

state and local approaches for assessing and addressing the impact of human trafficking victims and defendants in the state courts; 3) enhancing state and 

local court capacity to improve court services affected by human trafficking-related cases processing 

demands; and 4) building effective national, state, 

and local partnerships for addressing the impacts of 

human trafficking case processing in the state courts. 

The Collaborative will result in a variety of products 

benefiting the state courts, including: 

A comprehensive resource inventory of background information about the demographics, 

scope, dynamics, and implications for the courts 

and justice system of various forms of human 

trafficking; 

Measurement framework that includes measures 

and tools for monitoring the impacts of human 

trafficking case processing in the state courts; 

Summary of changes in federal and state trafficking law, policy, and practice that might better serve the interests of the state courts; 

A human trafficking and the state courts webbased resource network and clearinghouse for 

judges and court personnel; 

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Human Trafficking and the State Courts Collaborative 

A best practices toolkit for jurisdictions interested in establishing a specialized prostitution/

trafficking court; 

A series of bench cards targeting human trafficking-related issues; 

Best practice guidelines; 

Model planning and technical assistance process and supporting materials; 

Training on human trafficking via 12 

courses for judges; 

Intensive technical assistance in six jurisdictions, and proven nationally applicable 

technical assistance approaches; and 

Published articles in various court periodicals about the project and the issue in general. 

The three members of the Collaborative each 

bring specific expertise to these efforts, and 

will work together to accomplish these goals. 

CPPS has already developed expertise in delivering statewide technical assistance through its 

work on the SJI-funded Immigration and the 

State Courts Initiative. NJC has previously 

developed training for judges on human trafficking. CCI has experience helping jurisdictions set up specialized prostitution/trafficking 

courts. In addition to eliminating the “stovepipe” effect of separate organizations conducting projects with little to no coordination, the 

Collaborative will also establish what may become a permanent network of courts and court 

associations and organizations committed to 

this issue. 

The SJI Board established Human Trafficking and 

the State Courts as a Priority Investment Area on 

October 1, 2012.
E-SJI News Volume 23, No. 3 December 2012 

Page 2 

SJI Addresses Limited English Proficiency 

and the State Courts 

During the December 10, 2012 meeting, the 

Board approved a $500,000 Strategic Initiatives Grant (SIG) to the National Center for 

State Courts (NCSC) to address limited English proficiency (LEP) issues. The NCSC’s 

newly established Language Access Services 

Section is uniquely positioned to provide direct technical assistance to state courts on this 

critical issue. Most recently, the NCSC has 

worked with courts across New England, assessing their language access services and 

helping them find ways to share interpreters on 

a regional level. The NCSC also assisted the 

Tennessee Judiciary in conducting a summit of 

stakeholders to plan for providing language 

access services at no cost in civil cases 

throughout the state. Under a grant from 

CISCO, the NCSC is developing standards 

and best practices for remote video interpreting. 

As part of these efforts, the Conference of 

Chief Justices (CCJ) and the Conference of 

State Court Administrators (COSCA) created 

the Language Access Advisory Committee 

(LAAC) to increase the visibility of this work, 

and provide a better means of addressing policy issues impacting each state. LAAC is 

composed of COSCA members, with several 

state level language access coordinators as 

technical advisors. LAAC will provide direction to the work of the NCSC Language Access Services Section that will coordinate all 

LEP work and policy. 

For this SJI-funded project, the NCSC will: 

Assist states through CCJ, COSCA, and 

the LAAC in developing consistent national standards for increased ability to 

share resources, including the ability to 

share interpreters, tests, and training opportunities; 

Assist in the creation of regional and/or 

national databases of interpreter resources, and increase capacity through 

remote interpreting; 

Conduct state and local court needs assessments, including levering technology 

to improve business processes and performance measurement; 

Assist state and local courts with developing LEP plans, including assistance in 

determining when interpreter resources 

are required, and the necessary resources, 

as a part of case management; 

Develop model training for judges and 

court staff on cultural and interpreter use 

issues; 

Develop instructions and bench cards for 

judges to explain to courtroom participants how interpreters are best used in the 

courtroom; 

Disseminate information about the effective ways to respond to, and manage, the 

many facets of LEP individuals and their 

impact on the state courts; 

Evaluate gaps with meeting DOJ guidelines, and establish a plan of action to 

address those gaps; and, 

Similar to what courts have done with 

Americans with Disabilities (ADA) issues 

and security threats, establish a clearinghouse to collect data on LEP complaint in 

order to assist courts in addressing these 

issues 

SJI Awards FY 2013 1st Quarter Grants 

The Board met on December 10, 2012 to make 

decisions on quarterly grant applications and 

awarded a total of 15 grants. 

Four (4) Project Grants were awarded, including: the Maryland Judiciary to determine the 

cost/benefits of various forms of ADR in the 

state; the Supreme Court of West Virginia to 

conduct a workload assessment.; the National 

Association for Court Management (NACM) 

to deliver educational content addressing all 

six SJI Priority Investment Areas. The 19th

Judicial District of York County, Pennsylvania 

also received support to establish a SelfRepresented Litigation Center. 

Six (6) Technical Assistance (TA) Grants were 

approved, including: a resource center for the 

Delaware Justice of the Peace Court; development of core competencies for courts by the 

Texas Office of Court Administration; establishment of a Louisiana court interpreter program; an integrated justice information strategic plan in Calaveras county, California; and, 

strategic plans in the 21st Judicial Circuit of 

Missouri and the Mohave County Superior 

Court in Arizona. 

Six (6) Curriculum Adaptation & Training 

(CAT) Grants were approved, including: support for the Essential Skills for Appellate 

Judges program provided by the National Judicial College (NJC); customization of a new 

judge self-study online curriculum in Utah; 

statewide training for teams of judges and 

court administrators in Illinois; essential skills 

training to San Mateo Superior Court in California; and, delivery of the Institute for Court 

Management Certified Court Manager (CCM) 

curricula to Orange County Superior Court in 

California, and the Virginia Supreme Court. 

The next deadline for grant applications is 

February 1, 2013 (2nd quarter). 
National Association of Women Judges Provides 

Training on Immigration and Human Trafficking 

Through an SJI grant, the National Association 

of Women Judges (NAWJ) has developed 

materials and provided training for hundreds 

of judges across the nation on a variety of 

topics surrounding the complicated nexus of 

immigration status and state court case processing (SJI-11-E-086). Additional national 

and regional training focused on human trafficking will continue to be provided in the 

coming year. 

Training sessions held at 2011 and 2012 annual and mid-year NAWJ meetings in California, New Jersey, Florida, Massachusetts, and 

2011 and 2012 annual Congressional caucuses 

(as well as at a District meeting in Connecticut), have addressed a range of topics including: 

 immigration consequences of state court 

criminal convictions; 

 implications of Padilla v. Kentucky on the 

role of defense attorneys, prosecutors, and 

state trial court judges; 

 potential tools for state courts available in 

federal immigration law – such as trafficking 

and crime victim visas, and special immigrant 

juvenile status – that can help state courts 

process cases involving immigrants; 

 implications of immigration status on family, juvenile, and child protection case processing; 

 language issues impacting access to justice 

for persons who are not native English speakers; and, 

 implications on the state courts of international treaty agreements in cases involving non

-U.S. citizens. 

In the coming year, training sessions will be 

provided on human trafficking issues through 

a recently awarded SJI grant (SJI-12-E-168). 

These topics include: 

 why human trafficking is an important issue 

for the state courts; 

 the various forms and dynamics of human 

trafficking and the impact on both U.S. citizens 

and non-U.S. citizens; 

 how human trafficking can be identified in 

various types of state court cases; and 

 the nexus of federal and state immigration 

and human trafficking law, policy, and practice 

and its impact on state court operations generally, and the work of judges on the bench in 

particularly. 

Key partners working with NAWJ on these 

efforts have included John Martin and Steve 

Weller from the SJI-supported Immigration and 

The State Courts Initiative of the Center For 

Public Policy Studies, Dawn Seibert of the 

Immigrant Defense Project, and Leslye Orloff 

of the National Immigrant Women’s Advocacy Project at American University, as well 

many state court judges, and immigration 

judges and lawyers from across the United 

States. 

For additional information about NAWJ’s 

immigration and human trafficking efforts, 

contact Marie Komisar, NAWJ Executive 

Director, 202-393-0222 or 

mkomisar@nawj.org

John Martin addresses NAWJ members at the 2011 Annual Conference in Newark New Jersey on the 

conference topic, “Immigration Considerations in Your Courtroom.” Other panelists included: Professor Lori Nessel, Seton Hall Law School; Hon. Annie Garcy, U.S. Department Of Justice, Newark, 

NJ; Amy Gottlieb, Esq., American Friends Service Committee; and, Professor Margaret Martin, 

Seton Hall Law School. 

E-SJI News Volume 23, No. 3 December 2012 

Page 3 
Page 4 

SJI Board of Directors

Chairman 

James R. Hannah 

Chief Justice 

Supreme Court of Arkansas 

Little Rock, AR 

Vice Chairman 

Daniel J. Becker 

State Court Administrator 

Utah AOC 

Salt Lake City, UT 

Secretary 

Gayle A. Nachtigal 

Judge 

Washington County Circuit Court 

Hillsboro, OR 

Treasurer 

Hernan D. Vera 

President & CEO 

Public Counsel Law Center 

Los Angeles, CA 

Robert A. Miller 

Chief Justice (Ret.) 

Supreme Court of South Dakota 

Pierre, SD 

Chase T. Rogers 

Chief Justice 

Supreme Court of Connecticut 

Hartford, CT 

David V. Brewer 

Chief Judge 

Oregon Court of Appeals 

Salem, OR 

Wilfredo Martinez 

County Judge 

9th Judicial Circuit of Florida 

Orlando, FL 

Marsha J. Rabiteau 

Policy Consultant 

Rabiteau Consulting 

Bloomfield, CT 

John B. Nalbandian 

Partner 

Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP 

Cincinnati, OH 

Isabel Framer 

President 

Language Access Consultants, LLC 

Copley, OH

Jonathan D. Mattiello 

Executive Director 

The State Justice Institute is a federallyfunded, non-profit corporation established by 

federal law in 1984 to improve the quality of 

justice in the state courts. 

E-SJI News Volume 23, No. 3 December 2012 

State Supreme Court Initiative 

Releases Best Practices Guide

The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) has developed the online version 

of the “Best Practices” resource for State Supreme Court Websites (SJI-12-N004). 

The resource contains practical information on how a court can achieve an accessible online presence, and contains the following: 

Access to Case Materials New Media; 

Audio and Video; 

Blogging; 

Web feeds; 

Case Summaries/High-Profile Cases; 

Integrated Calendaring; and 

Navigation and Design Resources. 

The NCSC also is preparing a print version of the best practices guide. It will 

include the same content as the online version. Access to the e-portal is available online.