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Non-Judicial Conference Judicial Education Programs | State of Illinois Office of the Illinois Courts

IV. Non-Judicial Conference Judicial Education Programs

A. General Policies Governing Attendance at Non-Judicial Conference Judicial Education Programs

The Committee on Education shall recommend to the Supreme Court non-Judicial Conference judicial education providers and programs to be approved for attendance by Illinois judges. All approved providers will be reviewed every five (5) years for continued compliance with the required approval criteria, unless an earlier review is deemed necessary by the Committee.

Programs:

1. Judges may attend a non-Judicial Conference judicial education program held during their scheduled court time only if the program has been approved by the Supreme Court of Illinois. See Appendix B for approved providers and programs.

2. Attendance by a judge at an approved non-Judicial Conference judicial education program shall not be counted toward fulfilling a judge's requirement to attend 30 hours of judicial education biennially at the Education Conference.

3. In determining whether to recommend a particular judicial education program for approval to the Supreme Court, the Committee on Education shall consider the following criteria:

a. Whether the program can be considered as judicial education, which is defined as an organized program of learning contributing directly to the professional or personal development of a judge and designed specifically for an audience of judges;

b. Whether the program deals primarily with matters directly related to Illinois law, or to the professional responsibility or administrative or ethical obligations of an Illinois judge;

c. Whether the program is to be taught by a person or persons qualified by practical or academic experience to teach the topic or area of discipline covered by the program;

d. Whether high quality written materials are to be distributed to all judges participating in the program; and,

e. Whether the program is of sufficient length to provide a substantial educational experience. Programs of less than one (1) hour in length will be reviewed carefully to determine if they furnish a substantial educational experience.

Providers:

4. Approval of a provider of judicial education programs shall constitute approval of programs offered by the provider that deal with matters related to Illinois law, or to the professional responsibility or administrative or ethical obligations of an Illinois judge. In such instances, the Committee on Education, in determining whether to recommend a provider shall consider whether the provider is a recognized organization with an established history of providing balanced educational programs for judges which, if considered on an individual basis, would satisfy the standards for program approval set out in this Plan.

5. The Administrative Office shall post to the Illinois Supreme Court website the non-Judicial Conference education programs and providers approved for attendance by Illinois Judges.

B. Attendance at Non-Judicial Conference Judicial Education Programs

1. Criteria for Approval by the Chief Judge or his/her Designee

The chief judge or his/her designee, in determining whether to approve attendance at a non-Judicial Conference program or course, held in or out of the State of Illinois, shall:

a. Approve attendance at only those education programs that have been approved in accordance with this Plan.

b. Consider the same criteria to be considered when approving attendance at Judicial Conference education programs.

2. Procedure for Approving Attendance at Non-Judicial Conference Judicial Education Programs

a. Upon receiving an application to attend a non-Judicial Conference judicial education program, the chief judge or his/her designee shall consult the list of approved non-Judicial Conference programs. If the program the applying judge wishes to attend appears on the list, the chief judge or his/her designee may approve attendance.

b. If the program does not appear on the approved list, the chief judge or his/her designee shall consider the criteria listed above in IV.A.3 before permitting a judge to attend. If the judge wishes to request approval of a particular non-Judicial Conference program so that he/she may obtain reimbursement for attendance or approved time away from the bench, he/she must complete and submit the form found in Appendix C of this Plan.