NEWS RELEASE

The National Center for State Courts
300 Newport Avenue · Williamsburg, Virginia  23185

Contact:
Lorri Montgomery
Communications Manager
The National Center for State Courts
757.259.1525

President of the National Center for State Courts
Receives National Award

Williamsburg, VA (August 23, 2002) – Roger K. Warren, president of the National Center for State Courts, recently received the Distinguished Service Award, presented by the Conference of Court Public Information Officers (CCPIO) during the association’s annual meeting in Austin, Texas. The CCPIO is made up of representatives of state and federal courts who provide public education and media relations for the court system.

“This association’s existence is largely attributable to Roger’s unwavering support for those whose job it is to provide the communications that improve the public’s trust and confidence in the justice system,” said Sally Rankin, court information officer for the Maryland judiciary and outgoing president of CCPIO.  “Roger has done so much to promote the profession, making his views about the need for public information officers known to state chief justices and court administrators.”

The award is presented annually to someone who has made significant contributions to the court public information officer profession and to the CCPIO.  The association’s first conference was held in 1991, after Toni House, the late public information officer for the U.S. Supreme Court secured grant funding to help support the profession. Initially, court leaders hired public information officers to focus primarily on media relations to improve the accuracy of news coverage. Today, these positions are responsible for educating the public on legal issues and court functions, providing community outreach, improving legislative/government relations, and providing media relations. 

Warren was named president of The National Center in 1996. Prior to joining The National Center, he served as a state court judge in Sacramento, Ca. for more than 20 years.  The National Center for State Courts, founded in 1971 by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Warren Burger, is dedicated to improving the administration of justice and provides leadership, research, technology, education and training to state courts.

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