National Judicial Institute on Domestic Violence

Beginning November 1, 1998, the FVPF and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges jointly launched an exciting new domestic violence education resource for judges: The National Judicial Institute on Domestic Violence. The institute has developed a hands-on, highly interactive education program for judges nationwide.

Enhancing Judicial Skills in Domestic Violence Cases

Overview

We have 3 upcoming workshops in 2002-2003 exclusively for judges. At the three-day workshops, participant-judges will engage in practical courtroom exercises and lively discussions with their student and faculty peers. The interactive format, tailored to workshop participants' needs, will enable new and experienced judges to take home fresh ideas and techniques on how to handle difficult, complex issues in cases involving domestic violence.

Learning Objectives

Judicial participants will leave the workshops with greater knowledge and skills for handling cases involving domestic violence. Judges participating in the workshop learned how to:

Evaluate impact of violence on adult victims and children who witness violence.

Identify the protection and restoration requirements of domestic violence victims.

Describe patterns of batterer conduct, assess dangerousness of specific batterers, and impose effective intervention and accountability mechanisms for batterers.

Resolve difficult evidentiary issues and apply an understanding of domestic violence to judicial fact-finding.

Identify administrative and community barriers to accessing/ achieving justice in DV cases.

Devise methods of overcoming barriers to justice, become motivated to work to remove barriers, and use information regarding available community resources to assist in removing barriers.

Recognize and apply ethics rules that govern participation in extrajudicial activities, e.g., domestic violence councils, legislative proposals, local court rulemaking, and education programs of non-judge providers.

Define culture and cultural competence, enhance respect for the dynamics of difference, and identify ways in which culture is relevant in the courtroom.

Recognize cultural misinformation and avoid assumptions about a person or facts of a situation based on misinformation.

Identify and evaluate potential biases that might influence courtroom demeanor or interpretation of facts and making of decisions in DV cases.

Identify common decision-making points where understanding DV might affect how you make decisions and what you decide.

Draft and issue effective orders that (a) stop violence, (b) protect adult victims & children, (c) require appropriate batterers treatment in criminal and civil DV cases, and (d) facilitate enforcement in DV cases.

Assess the impact of domestic violence on cases involving sentencing, custody and visitation issues.

Evaluate batterers intervention programming and information regarding appropriate treatment/intervention options.

Identify the potential benefits of conducting review hearings (in conjunction w/ probation services) to monitor batterer conduct in DV cases.

Eligibility and Costs

Participation in each program is limited to 50 judges. All state court judges nationwide are eligible to attend the programs, but priority will be given to judges from jurisdictions currently receiving one of the following Violence Against Women Grants: (1) Grants to Encourage Arrest, (2) STOP Violence Against Indian Women Grants, or (3) Rural Domestic Violence and Child Victimization Enforcement Grant Program. Priority is also given to VAWO funded jurisdictions that send more than one judge. The program is offered free of charge. A $75 activity fee covers the expenses of a group dinner and a reception, which cannot be financed with grant funds. Some courts might cover their judges' expenses. All participants are responsible for their own travel and per diem expenses if they cannot obtain funding from on of these sources.

Upcoming Programs

Here are the dates and locations of our 2002-2003 programs:

September 22-25, 2002 San Diego, CA
December 8-11, 2002 Santa Fe, NM
March 9-12, 2003 Brooklyn, NY

Sign up online at www.nationalcouncilfvd.org! For brochures with more detailed information contact the FVPF at 415.252.8900. If you have questions regarding attending one the workshops, please contact Amy Saathoff at the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges at saathoff@unr.edu.