The Art and Craft of Judging: Your “Sophomore Years”

Overview

This program was designed for judges with 5 to 10 years of experience on the Bench. The program, developed in collaboration with senior judges as well as academics, addressed several dimensions of judging relevant to judges at this stage of their careers.

Objectives

The objective of this program was to support participants with the understanding of the role of deliberation in judicial decision-making, identifying the range of ways in which cultural elements come into play in the courtroom, responding to ethical issues occurring mid-career, and developing strategies for maintaining optimum productivity. The course also explored strategies to increase resilience and well-being in the judicial role.

Summary

Led by faculty members consisting of senior judges, judicial peers, and academics from the fields of law, neuroscience, psychology, diversity and pluralism, this program addressed several dimensions of judging including: judging at the conceptual level (decision‐making and the context of judging), at the level of judicial identity (ethics), productivity (strategies to complete and issue timely judgments) and resilience, wellness and professional growth over the judicial career. It also focused on the process of judgment and decision-making and considered both the interaction of social context in cases (intercultural competence, judging in a diverse society) and the widening range of ethical questions affecting judges at this point of their career.