SJI Newsletter

December 2018 | Volume 29, No. 3

 
One (1) Project Grant was awarded to NACM to support educational programming for the mid-year 

and annual meetings, including distance learning opportunities that focus on SJI's Priority Investment 

Areas. 

Seven (7) Technical Assistance Grants were awarded: the Supreme Court of Louisiana to improve 

the capacity of the Orleans Parish Juvenile Court in identifying and responding to child victims of 

human and labor trafficking; American University/Justice Programs Office, in partnership with NACM, 

the National Association of Presiding Judges and Court Executive Officers (NAPCO), and other key 

court organizations to enhance caseflow management to ensure effective assistance of counsel; the 

Michigan Court Administration Association for statewide Institute for Court Management training; the 

Council of Chief Judges for the State Courts of Appeal (CCJSCA) to review and assess the impact of 

technology on communications and collaboration in the immediate appellate courts; the State Court 

of Fulton County, Georgia, to plan for improvements to the Court Self-Help Center; the Van Buren 

County, Michigan, Courts for a strategic planning project; and the Oregon Judiciary to launch a 

collaborative process to develop a two-year campaign agenda for strategic change.

Two (2) Curriculum Adaptation and Training (CAT) Grants were awarded: the American Judges 

Association (AJA), in partnership with the Illinois Administrative Office of the Courts, to support 

judicial education programs; and the National Judicial College (NJC) to produce and present 4 

online, self-study learning modules for judges across the United States.

The next deadline for grant applications is February 1, 2019 (FY 2019, 2nd quarter).

Introduction to the Enhanced

Juvenile Justice Guidelines

In 2005, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) published the 

Juvenile Delinquency Guidelines: Improving Court Practice in Juvenile Delinquency Cases

(JDG). Over the years, the Guidelines have been used as a major resource by juvenile courts 

across the country.

With grant support from SJI, the NCJFCJ has updated this seminal publication. This update will 

ensure that the Guidelines remain the defining resource for juvenile justice professionals into 

the next decade.
The Guidelines identify the essential elements of effective juvenile justice procedures provide

recommended practices. However, in the intervening decade, much has changed in juvenile

justice; from landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions that ended the death penalty and solitary

confinement for juveniles, to changes in practice as a result of brain science.

The NCJFCJ invites you to join them for a webinar, where they will unveil the new Enhanced 

Juvenile Justice Guidelines.

Date: Thursday, December 20, 2018

Time: 10 a.m. PST / 1 p.m. EST

Duration: 1 hour

Registration: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6695ZDQ

New Video Explains the Role

of State Courts in Our Society

Only 26 percent of Americans can name all three branches of government, a 2016 survey by 

the Annenberg Public Policy Center found. Only 23 percent of eighth-graders ranked at or above 

the proficient level on a recent national civics exam.

When civics education is taught effectively, it can help students become informed and engaged 

citizens. But only nine states and the District of Columbia require one year of U.S. government or 

civics, while 30 states require a half year and the other 11 states have no civics requirement.

With all that in mind, NCSC released an "explainer video" for courts to use as a resource to educate 

the public about the role of state courts in society.

"Courts play a vital role in protecting people's rights," NCSC President Mary McQueen said. 

"The National Center developed this video to provide our nation's state courts a resource to help 

educate their communities about how state courts work."

The brief video (three minutes and 35 seconds long) explains why the founding fathers elevated the 

judiciary to its status as the government's third and co-equal branch. It then points out that 

most people think of federal courts, particularly the U.S. Supreme Court, when they think of 

courts, but that 96 percent of all cases are handled in state courts. The video goes on to 

explain that state courts are made up of local trial courts, where juries or judges decide cases, as 

well as appellate and supreme courts.

The video is free and available to view, download, share, and link to at www.ncsc.org/explainer.
Supreme Court of Ohio Develops

Interpreter Training Improvement Program

With support from SJI, the Supreme Court of Ohio's Language Services Program (LSP)

developed and implemented a new court interpreter training improvement program.

Aimed at court interpreters throughout Ohio, the Supreme Court contemplated several core 

components:

1. An online training program housed with college/university partner;

2. Delivery of web-based courses to prepare foreign language interpreters entering the field;

and,

3. Improve passing rates for the oral examinations.

The report details how the content was evaluated and redeveloped, as well as how partners were 

engaged and existing examination results were reviewed to determine areas of 

improvement. The resulting products include a six-module, online court interpreter training 

program, and an e-learning portal. Translation of some content in frequently used languages 

on the main page, which serves those interested in becoming court interpreters, was also 

included.
SJI Repository and

Upcoming Grant Deadlines

The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) Library is the official repository for all SJI grant

products, including reports, curricula, media, and any documents in their final version created by SJI

grant funding. Since FY 2011, the NCSC Library has served as a centralized holding of these items.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to research previously-funded SJI grants by reviewing grant

products and presenting this information in their application. A benefit of the collaboration with the

NCSC Library is their convenient online searchable catalog and digital archive. The catalog contains

a list of all holdings at the physical location in Williamsburg, Virginia, and the digital archive allows

users to access the electronic versions.

All grantees are required to forward one hard copy and one digital copy (preferably in Adobe PDF or

Microsoft Word) of their final grant product(s) to SJI.

Upcoming grant application deadlines for the remainder of FY 2019 are:

February 1, 2019; 

May 1, 2019; and,

August 1, 2019
SJI Board of Directors

Chair

John D. Minton, Jr.

Chief Justice

Supreme Court of Kentucky 

Frankfort, KY

Vice Chair

Daniel J. Becker

State Court Administrator (ret.) 

Utah AOC

Salt Lake City, UT

Secretary

Gayle A. Nachtigal

Senior Circuit Court Judge

Washington County Circuit Court 

Hillsboro, OR

Treasurer

David V. Brewer

Justice

Oregon Supreme Court

Salem, OR

Jonathan Lippman

Chief Judge of New York (ret.)

of Counsel

Latham & Watkins, LLP

New York, NY

Chase T. Rogers

Chief Justice (ret.)

Supreme Court of Connecticut

Partner

Pitney Day, LLP

Hartford, CT

Wilfredo Martinez

County Judge

9th Judicial Circuit of Florida

Orlando, FL

Marsha J. Rabiteau

Executive Director

Center for Human Trafficking

Court Solutions

Bloomfield, CT

Hernan D. Vera

Principal

Bird Marella P.C.

Los Angeles, CA

Isabel Framer

President

Language Access Consultants, LLC 

Copley, OH

Jonathan D. Mattiello

Executive Director

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

federal law in 1984 to improve the quality of justice in the state courts.

Products and Resources

Since 2011, SJI has designated the library at the National Center for State Courts as the

official repository of published work related to SJI-supported grant projects. You can

search the ecollection online by using the term, State Justice Institute.

Share the News

SJI uses Facebook and Twitter to promote the work of its grantees and also shares 

information of interest to the entire state court community. If your organization's work 

complements ours, let us know and we will share.