Indiana judicial officers who completed 120 hours of judicial education were recently honored by their colleagues and the Indiana Supreme Court as graduates of the Indiana Judicial College.  Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard presented 20 judicial officers with a certificate acknowledging the accomplishment.

The “Judicial College” is a program offered by the Indiana Judicial Center.   The Indiana Judicial Center sponsors the continuing education of judges, probation officers, and other court personnel.  The Center works to enhance the performance of the judicial system as a whole by continuously improving the professional competence of judicial officers.

To complete the “Judicial College,” a judicial officer must attend 120 hours of educational programming.  The programs offered for college credit are designed specifically for judicial officers.  Some of the available sessions include classes on the problem-solving courts, state bail issues, handling high profile cases, best practices for dealing with self-represented litigants, evidence, juvenile law and constitutional law.

Chief Justice Shepard strongly believes in continuing education for all members of the judiciary.  He explained, “The programming developed by the Indiana Judicial Center is absolutely top quality.  The Judicial College is a wonderful opportunity for Indiana judicial officers to further their legal education.  I am pleased to congratulate the 20 members of the bench who completed the required coursework.  They are an example of Indiana’s finest.”

The 2008 Judicial College graduates include:

The judicial officers graduated from the Indiana Judicial College in a ceremony held in Indianapolis, Indiana in September 2008.   Judges from across the state joined in congratulating the judge on achieving the high standard of educational excellence.  The ceremony took place during the Judicial Conference of Indiana.  The Conference membership includes all Indiana judges—including Circuit, Superior, and County courts as well as magistrates.  The appellate judges of the Tax Court, the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court are also members of the Conference.

The Indiana Judicial Center serves as the state’s judicial research and continuing judicial education agency.

For more information on the Center visit courts.IN.gov/center/.