Faculty

The overwhelming majority of NJC courses are taught by active and retired judges who volunteer their time. They are evaluated by class participants, so, in effect, they complete for the honor of teaching their fellow judges. Other faculty include professional instructors and experts in a variety of fields such as accounting, law and medicine.

“
“The faculty members are very loyal to the College. They volunteer their time out of love for the institution.”

Gordon Zimmerman, Ph.D,

Professor Emeritus at the University of Nevada, Reno and faculty member since 1972

To ensure world-class education, the NJC prepares its volunteer faculty of judges, as well as paid professional experts such as accountants, law professors, physicians and psychologists, by having both groups participate in a faculty development workshop. The workshops prepare instructors to teach adult learners.

NJC courses are often built around a “learn by doing” model that includes role playing, tests and quizzes, case studies and learning games.

“Now, more than ever, it is imperative to educate the judiciary, which is so fragile,” said Judge Janet Berry (Ret.) of Nevada, who has been a part of the NJC for 20 years.

“I love teaching and sharing my knowledge and insights with my colleagues.  And, of course, the old adage is true: You learn more by teaching than being a student,” said Judge Peggy Hora (Ret.) of California, who has been teaching at the NJC for over 20 years.

“Just as no business can afford to ignore the global marketplace and remain viable, no state judge can ignore the climate, the innovation and the activity taking place at the national level and still be an effective jurist. The NJC is the only judicial education program in the country where that perspective is built into its curriculum, its faculty, its very being,” says Judge Karen Hunt (Ret.) of Alaska.