By Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis
As students across Illinois go back to school, August provides a timely opportunity to highlight judicial education and, more specifically, the work of the Illinois Judicial College.
In November 2015, the Supreme Court established the Judicial College and its Board of Trustees. The College’s charge from the Court was “to provide educational training and professional development programs to improve the skills, knowledge and competencies of the judges and employees of the Illinois Judicial Branch.” While that directive seems simple in hindsight, bringing it to life required years of dedication by not only the Board of Trustees, the members of the College’s seven standing committees, but also hundreds of volunteers, including active and retired judges and justice partners. That effort has proven invaluable. Today, our state is a nationwide pioneer in judicial education.
The Judicial College is approaching its tenth anniversary. Here to discuss its past, present, and future is the Chair of the Board of Trustees, Judge Lisa Wilson.
By Lisa Y. Wilson, 10th
Circuit, Chair, Illinois Judicial College Board of Trustees
I recently visited London and admired the Crown Jewels, which were stunning and magnificent. The Crown Jewels are significant in the history of royalty in England. Similarly, the Illinois Judicial College has emerged as a crown jewel of the Illinois Supreme Court and will predictably be a significant fixture in our shared judicial branch history. Not every state has the judicial branch educational structure we have in Illinois. In the year preceding the establishment of the Illinois Judicial College on January 1, 2016, our Court knew the need and the benefit of comprehensive and collaborative education for both judges and justice partners had arrived. Our Judicial College would be unique in the shared leadership role of judges and justice partners serving as Judicial College Standing Committees as Chairs and Vice-Chairs. Even the terminology, justice partners, is a unique Illinois reference the Judicial College adopted over the more common reference, stakeholders, to capture the intentionality of shared leadership and the recognition of the role of judicial branch professionals as those who aid the Court in the administration of justice.
The Court’s intent to serve the public and serve the public well remains deeply rooted in the origins of the Judicial College and continues to drive our educational purpose. As an inaugural member of the Illinois Judicial College Board of Trustees, and current Board Chair, my nearly decade-long journey has been an honor and privilege of service. My fellow Board colleagues – those inaugural Board members who shaped and gave structure and purpose to the Judicial College and the current thought leaders, sustaining and innovating the Judicial College, as we govern its affairs – are to be commended.
The Court’s vision has been achieved through the curriculum and course design efforts of the seven Judicial College Standing Committees and Workgroups of the Committee on Circuit Court Clerk Education (CCCE), Committee on Judicial Education (COJE), Committee on Probation Education (COPE), Committee on Pretrial Education (CPTE), Committee on Guardian ad Litem Education (GALE), Committee on Judicial Branch Staff Education (JBSE), the Committee on Trial Court Administrator Education (TCAE), their Workgroups, Judicial College faculty, New Judge Cohort Leaders, the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, and the Board, who form a crucial professional network of educational leaders, subject matter experts, teachers and managers, creating and delivering outstanding education and professional development.
The Illinois Judicial College is and has been responsive to change, emergent legal issues and the needs of its target audience. By example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Judicial College moved from face-face meetings and events to Zoom meetings and live webcasts broadcasting over the Judicial College Learning Management System. Between March 2020 and December 2020, the Judicial College produced 57 eLearning courses for judges and justice partners, equating to 80 plus hours of continuing education in less than one year. Live webcasts have remained a popular and frequent course option.
When Illinois judges and justice partners needed guidance during the considerations of the Pretrial Fairness Act and SAFE-T Act, the Judicial College collaborated with Supreme Court Pretrial and Appeals Task Forces to develop and host regional multidisciplinary pretrial education forums in each of the five appellate districts. Through the Judicial College, COJE conceived the New Judge Orientation Cohort model, Education Conference evolved to welcome justice partners on Thursdays and Friday to multi-disciplinary courses, and JBSE provided continuing education for appellate and supreme legal staff (Joint Appellate Conference). GALE spearheaded the Biennial Juvenile Conference and the upcoming September Domestic Violence Summit, while hosting several multidisciplinary live webcasts. CCCE hosted New Clerk Orientation and regional Crucial Conversations, COPE held its first biennial Symposium for Probation and Detention Chiefs, Directors and Managers, and is awaiting completion of its 22 course Juvenile Detention and 17 course Juvenile Probation curriculum, a result of a partnership with the National Partnership for Juvenile Services; TCAE and CCCE have adopted the nationally recognized National Center for State Courts, Institute for Court Management, Certified Court Manager and Certified Court Executive curricula, encouraging its audiences to earn NCSC/ICM credentials over the next two years; TCAE’s Court Administrator Leadership (CAL) Academy has gained in attendance, and TCAs and court managers, have created a bank of resources accessible for court administrators and managers across the state, developed unofficial mentorships, professional bonds and friendships. The Court expanded CPTE to include more trial court judges and Circuit Clerks, and the Committee completed the development of pretrial curriculum for new judges, experienced judges, and pretrial officers. These are samplings of the efforts of Judicial College Committees, Workgroups, faculty and staff. They are promoting excellence in continuing education, and in so doing, advancing the effective and efficient administration of justice, better enabling Illinois judges and justice partners to engage and serve the public in the exercise of official duties, in a manner worthy of the trust and confidence of all citizens.
I am proud of the work of the Illinois Judicial College. The Illinois Judicial College has transformed my life, the way that I view my role as a judge, and how I serve the public. The College Board, Committees, Workgroups, Faculty and Staff, are much like a family and their service ultimately impacts the public we serve. Within the heart and soul of the Illinois Judicial College lies a commitment to transformative learning, collaboration, enhanced professional competencies, and the core principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, procedural fairness and access to justice, woven into every aspect of what we seek to do in our work.
For more information, questions or comments, please email, judicialcollege@illinoiscourts.gov