NEWS RELEASE

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

Nation's Chief Justices and State Court Administrators
Discuss Strengthening Judicial Independence and Accountability
July 25 – 29, 2004
Salt Lake City, Utah
The Marriott City Center Hotel

Williamsburg, VA (July 19, 2004) – Preserving judicial independence and strengthening judicial accountability are among the top issues at this year’s annual meeting of the Conference of Chief Justices (CCJ) and the Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA), July 25-29 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The media is invited to attend, but must register by calling Nancy Volmer, at 801-578-3994. 

CCJ brings together the highest judicial officers, and COSCA brings together state court administrators, from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. The National Center for State Courts (NCSC), headquartered in Williamsburg, Va., serves as executive staff for CCJ and COSCA, and coordinates their meetings. CCJ and COSCA work to improve the nation’s state courts by tackling issues that affect procedures, rules, and operations of the courts, and by making recommendations to improve them.

CCJ/COSCA has long been active in efforts to support judicial independence and has recognized the crucial role increased accountability plays in maintaining it, and adapted a resolution on Governance and Accountability to help courts learn how to create a culture of accountability.

Conference highlights:

• Dr. Kermit Hall, president of Utah State University, is the keynote speaker at the July 27 opening ceremonies. He will discuss “Preserving the Third Branch.”  Hall also will head an executive leadership session on judicial independence on July 25.
• An educational session on judicial independence, “Common Concerns: Learning From Each Other,” will discuss issues court leaders face that impact judicial independence, such as lack of public confidence in the courts, relationships with legislatures, judicial conduct, and the media. 
• An educational session “Exercising Leadership: Integrating the Methods and Principles of Problem-Solving Courts,” tackles why problem-solving courts make sense, the benefits and concerns involved, and the strategies involved in adopting the problem-solving approach in state courts.
• At the conference’s conclusion, Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson of Wisconsin will be named the new president of CCJ, at which time she also becomes chair of the NCSC’s Board of Directors. Daniel Becker, Utah State Court Administrator, becomes COSCA’s president and vice chair of NCSC’s Board.   

CCJ President Ronald M. George, Chief Justice of the State of California, will preside over the conference. Michael Buenger, COCSA President and State Court Administrator of Missouri, will preside over COSCA’s portion of the meetings. Chief Justice of Utah Christine M. Durham and Becker serve as co-hosts of the conference.

The National Center for State Courts, founded by Chief Justice of the United States Warren E. Burger, is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the administration of justice by providing leadership and service to the state courts. The National Center carries out this mission through its offices in Williamsburg, Washington, D.C. and Denver, Colo., which provide research, education, and hands-on consulting services to the nation’s state courts.

###