SJI NEWSLETTER SJI NEWSLETTER

In this Issue 

Page 1 

Volume 25, No. 9 

New Guide on Unaccompanied Immigrant Minors 

and the State Courts 

SJI Grantees

When Tweeting or posting to 

Facebook about your SJI Grant, 

be sure to use the hashtag 

#SJIGrant - we will share your 

project nationally. 

You can access our latest posts 

via Facebook and Twitter. 

New Guide on Unaccompanied Immigrant 

Minors 

1 

Human Trafficking 

Toolkit 

1 

New SJI Website 2 

WINGS Video Introduction 2 

Judge Nachtigal 

Honored 

3 

FY 2016 

Appropriations 

3 

The Center for Public Policy Studies (CPPS) and the 

National Center for State Courts (NCSC) are increasing state court capacity to address the increasing 

number of immigrant children likely to appear in 

state courts. With SJI support, CPPS and the NCSC 

recently released a Guide to State Court Cases Involving Unaccompanied Immigrant Children. The 

purpose of the Guide is to increase understanding 

among state court judges, court administrators, and 

other key stakeholders regarding: 

Federal immigration law, policy, and practice, 

and the impact on state court cases involving 

Unaccompanied Alien Children (UACs); 

How the work of the state courts in cases involving UACs intersects with the needs of the 

federal immigration system; 

June 2015 

Human Trafficking Toolkit 

for State Courts 

With support from SJI, the Center for 

Court Innovation (CCI) has just released its latest resource for state 

courts and communities, Responding 

to Sex Trafficking in Your Jurisdiction: A Planning Toolkit. This toolkit 

offers a step-by-step process to help 

courts and communities assess their 

current approaches to human trafficking and prostitution, and develop or 

enhance a state court-based response. The materials in the toolkit 

The different types of cases and matters where 

UACs might appear in state courts; and 

The potential role of the state courts in providing factual findings in cases involving UACs. 

While there are other forms of federal immigration 

relief for refugees, victims of human trafficking, and 

other groups, the Guide focuses solely on the state 

court findings required for use in federal determination of Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS). 

The Guide also provides recommended action steps 

for state courts to use in addressing cases involving 

UACs. 

To date, CPPS and the NCSC have: hosted a national 

webinar on the UAC issue, which is available online; 

created a webpage for additional resources; released 

an information card for judges and court practitioners on SIJS. 

are based on promising practices identified through both CCI’s demonstration projects, and national training and 

technical assistance. 

For more information, or to request 

assistance, contact CCI, which offers 

training and technical assistance to 

state courts as a member of the SJIfunded Human Trafficking and the 

State Courts Collaborative. 
Page 2 

E-SJI News Volume 25, No. 9 June 2015 

The State Justice Institute (SJI) has launched a new website, with improved functionality, design, and navigation. The new website has been designed to enhance 

accessibility and best reflect the work accomplished by 

SJI and its grantees. 

SJI Launches New Website 

The new website features an improved homepage design, cleaner layout of page content, search function, and 

an intuitive and consistent site-wide navigation system. It is also accessible through a wider range of web 

browsers and personal electronic devices, including 

mobile devices and tablets, and has been designed to 

meet all relevant accessibility standards. 

In coordination with the website’s redesign and launch, 

SJI’s presence on social media, including Facebook and 

Twitter has also been updated. 

The National Guardianship 

Network (NGN) has released 

a new video introduction -

What is WINGS, by District 

of Columbia Chief Judge Eric 

Washington. The video highlights the NGN’s efforts to 

improve state adult guardianship practices through collaborative court-community 

Video Explains Purpose of WINGS 

partnerships. WINGS, an acronym for the Working Interdisciplinary Networks of Guardianship Stakeholders, has been funded in 

part by SJI for the past two fiscal years. The five-minute video is 

featured in the “What’s New,” section of the NCSC’s Elders and 

the Courts website. 

The new video functions as a lead-in to the NGN Replication 

Guide for state WINGS groups. 
Page 3 

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 

Senior Circuit Court Judge 

Washington County Circuit Court 

Hillsboro, OR 

Treasurer 

Hernan D. Vera 

Principal 

Bird Marella P.C. 

Los Angeles, CA 

Chase T. Rogers 

Chief Justice 

Supreme Court of Connecticut 

Hartford, CT 

Jonathan Lippman 

Chief Judge of the State of New York 

New York Court of Appeals 

New York, NY 

David V. Brewer 

Justice 

Oregon Supreme Court 

Salem, OR 

Wilfredo Martinez 

County Judge 

9th Judicial Circuit of Florida 

Orlando, FL 

Marsha J. Rabiteau 

Executive Director 

Legal Policy Strategies Group 

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 25, No. 9 June 2015 

In May, Judge Gayle Nachtigal received the 2015 Emma C. McKinney Distinguished Citizen award from the Hillsboro, Oregon Chamber of Commerce. The 

award is presented every year in honor of the longtime Hillsboro Argus matriarch. The Argus will make a $500 donation to a nonprofit organization of Judge 

Nachtigal's choice. 

Judge Nachtigal currently serves as a Senior Circuit Court Judge in Washington 

County, Oregon. Her leadership in a range of national organizations, including 

the American Judges Association, National Center for State Courts’ Court Consulting Advisory Board, and SJI, have made her a sought after voice on issues 

relevant to the state courts. Judge Nachtigal has been a member of the SJI Board 

of Directors since 2010, and serves as the Board’s Secretary. 

Update on FY 2016 Appropriations 

The House Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Subcommittee on Appropriations marked up the 

FY 2016 CJS bill on May 14, 2015, which included SJI's full request totaling $5,121,000 (the 

same level as FY 2015). The bill was subsequently approved by the full Appropriations Committee on May 20th, and the House on June 4th. The Senate CJS Subcommittee marked up the 

bill on June 10th, and the full Senate Appropriations Committee approved the bill on June 11th, 

both of which also included SJI’s full request. 

SJI Board Member Honored