Special Court Jurisdiction

Why should I take this course?

“Special courts” are those courts with a limited jurisdiction – such as traffic court, misdemeanor courts, domestic violence court, or small claims court, to name a few. Special courts are also courts serving a particular population, such as tribal courts. During this course, judges will receive a solid foundation in caseflow management, judicial writing, communications skills, evidence, legal reasoning, and more. The course will help judges gain confidence in knowing that they are properly following legal and procedural requirements in their role as judge.

Who should attend?

Full-time or part-time judges from urban or rural courts of special jurisdiction, including tribal courts, will find this course valuable.

Who are the members of the faculty?

The faculty is composed of experienced judges, professors, physicians, and consultants who have a mastery of teaching the skills needed to effectively manage a special court docket, and will provide valuable best practices information regarding limited jurisdiction adjudication.

How is this course taught?

Classroom presentations are balanced with problem solving sessions, case studies, small group discussions and independent research projects. The faculty encourages you to interact during class and make themselves available outside of the classroom for informal discussion of issues and problems. Some sessions will be taught jointly with Special Court Jurisdiction: Advanced and group facilitators, who are graduates of the course, serve as discussion leaders and mentor in small group.

Whom should I contact for more information?

For more information, please contact the Registrar’s Office at (800) 255-8343 or registrar@judges.org.