Welcome to the web site for the American Bar Association's Coalition for Justice. The Coalition's mission is to build public trust and confidence in the justice system — and in the legal profession — through partnerships with the public in justice reform. Please explore our web site to find a plethora of information about our current programs and initiatives, and do not hesitate to contact us to discover more about how you can get involved in improving the administration of justice in your area.
Separation of Powers National Issues Forum
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Marriott Marquis
Hosted by the American Lawyers Auxiliary
Dangerous Intersection:
Intimate Partner Sexual Abuse as Domestic Violence: What Judges, Lawyers and Victim Advocates Need to Know
Thursday, August 7, 2008
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Marriott Marquis
CLE Program
The program points to the hidden aspects of intimate partner sexual assault and
the complex challenges it presents while protecting the victim and her children
while insuring due process for the accused.
Coalition Business Meeting
Thursday, August 7, 2008
12:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Marriott Marquis
Judicial Division Tribal Courts Council Program
Saturday, August 9, 2008
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Maze of Injustice: The Failure to Protect Indigenous Women from Sexual Violence in the USA
Marriott Marquis
Chelsea, Empire Complex
7th Floor
Cosponsored by the Coalition for Justice
Two National Issues Forum entitled:
(1) National Issues Forum and Coalition for Justice Business Meeting
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
9:30 – 11:15a National Issues Forum
11:30 – 12:30p Business Meeting
American University Washington College of Law
4801 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20016
202.274.4077
(2) Separation of Powers National Issues Forum
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
1:15p - 3:00p
Woodrow Wilson Senior High School
3950 Chesapeake St., NW
Washington, DC 20016
202.282.0545
Coalition for Justice Hosts Separation of Powers National Issues Forum
February 8, 2008 at the ABA Midyear Meeting in Los Angeles, CA, the Coalition hosted senior honors students at Susan Miller Dorsey High School in Central Los Angeles. The Coalition presented its new National Issues Forum, "Under Pressure: How Can We Keep Courts Fair and Impartial?" designed to teach non-lawyers about the importance of the separation of powers and an impartial judiciary. The Forum was produced by the Coalition with help from the Kettering Foundation. Students watched a video produced by the Standing Committee on Judicial Independence to introduce them to the topic. Thereafter, lead instructional teacher, David Dillon, led the students through a discussion of the issue, assuring impartial courts. The students considered three proposed solutions: better education of the public on the role of the courts, increased funding, and taking the politics out of judicial selection and retention. After a lively debate, the group concluded that all three approaches were necessary. Coalition members were unanimous in their praise for the students' work and the effectiveness of the National Issues Forum program.
»THE SAN FRANCISCO ROUNDTABLE ON YOUTH AT RISK
Hosted by the American Bar Association Coalition for Justice
Thursday, August 9, 2007 | 3:00 – 6:00 p.m.
San Francisco Marriott
Pacific Suite A, 4th Floor | 55 4th Street | San Francisco, CA
Special guest: American Bar Association President Karen J. Mathis
Contact Gilda Fairley at fairleyg@staff.abanet.org or call (312) 988.5689 with questions.
»Coalition Program
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP
1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW 2nd floor
Washington, DC
Race and Gender Bias in Judicial Election and Selection: Truth or Fiction?
Are Women and Minority Judges More Likely to be Targeted by Special Interests?
Following the 2004 and 2006 election cycles, lawyers, journalists and public interest groups reviewed the harsh tone and historic spending levels in judicial elections. Some noted that women and minority incumbent judges seemed to be disproportionately targeted in their campaigns. Tuesday, April 17, 2007, our moderator Bert Brandenberg and panelists Celinda Lake, Deborah Goldberg and Judge James Wynn led an interactive discussion with the audience and assessed whether special interests are indeed targeting women and minority judges for defeat. Speakers analyzed how different tactics and strategies have been employed in campaigns against them. Listen to the audio recording or download the program materials to review the topics that were discussed. Also, see pages 6, 17, 25, 33 & 40 of The Judges' Journal, a quarterly publication of the American Bar Association Judicial Division, Winter 2007, Vol. 46 No. 1.
Moderator:
Bert Brandenberg
Justice at Stake
Panelists:
Celinda Lake
Celinda Lake, President
Lake Research Partners
Deborah Goldberg
Director, Democracy Program
Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law
Hon. James Wynn
NC Court of Appeals
Program Materials
Making Judicial Recusal More Rigorous
J.A.I.L. 4 Judges: Opponents of an Impartial Justice System
Judicial Ethics: The Impact of Judicial Selection on Judicial Ethics
Washington State Supreme Court 2006 Elections
Judicial Elections: Today's Trends & Tomorrow's Forecast
Judicial Mentor Program
The Judicial Division is proud to announce that registration for the Judicial Mentor Program is now open.
Judges: click here to complete an on-line registration
Attorneys: click here to complete on-line registration
New National Issues Forum Issue Book Released:The Coalition for Justice, in conjunction with the Kettering Foundation, has produced a new National Issues Forum Book entitled Under Pressure: How to Keep the Courts Fair and Impartial. This issue book is intended to help promote deliberative dialogue about the judiciary. The goal is to reach some shared understanding of what the problems may be and to see if there is any shared sense of direction about the best ways to resolve them. To receive your complimentary copy of Under Pressure: How to Keep the Courts Fair and Impartial, please contact Gilda Fairley at 312.988.5689 or at fairleyg@staff.abanet.org.
The Coalition for Justice is now offering 2 complimentary CLE Programs!
Race and Gender Bias in Judicial Election and Selection
Truth or Fiction? Are Women and Minority Judges More Likely to be Targeted by Special Interests?
Interested? Visit http://www.abanet.org/cle/clenow/raceandgenderbias.html
Contingent Fees:
Access to the Court or Threat to Capitalism?
Video Program - Windows Media Player
Dear Judge,
Recently, many judges have received questionnaires from various groups and organizations. Some judges wish to fill out and return all questionnaires, and others do not, finding some questionnaires intrusive and inappropriate. Although some of these judges prefer not to answer many or all of the questions, they are told explicitly or implicitly that failure to return the questionnaires could reflect badly upon the judge. Wishing to provide information to these groups or organizations but not wishing to complete the questionnaire sent to them, they have asked for an alternative. Attached is a sample questionnaire which you may wish to download, fill out and return to them instead.
This questionnaire is designed to provide voters with a better understanding of your background, temperament and qualifications for the bench and not to ferret out where you stand on particular hot button social or legal issues. In answering these questions, please feel free to address judicial issues and themes broadly, there is no need to provide specific details on cases or opinions on issues which may come before the court. Judges must base their decisions on the law and the facts of each individual case.
How you answer these questions is up to you, but we suggest you first check your local Rules of Judicial Conduct. If you have any questions, you should check with your local Judicial Conduct Commission. Your answers to the attached model questionnaire should help educate and assist voters in making their decisions during primary, general or retention elections.
This questionnaire was prepared by the ABA Coalition for Justice Committee to assist you, but is not in any way ABA policy. Its form or content has not been passed by the House of Delegates. We are providing additional information on questionnaire do’s and don'ts from the National ad Hoc Advisory Committee on Judicial Campaign Oversight, established by the National Center for State Courts, which you will find informative at: http://www.judicialcampaignconduct.org/Advice_on_Questionnaires-Final.pdf. We hope all of this information will be helpful to you and the voters in your jurisdiction.
ABA Coalition for Justice
Judge Cara Lee Neville
Immediate Past Chair
