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AJS / Drake Justice System Series
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AJS / Drake Law School Justice System Series
Summary
The American Judicature Society, in
collaboration with the Drake Law School, presents
sessions on the Justice System. All sessions are Free and
Open to the Public. Often CLE credit, including ethics
credit, is available.
2005 ║
2006 ║
2007 ║
2008 ║
2009
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October
23, 2009 |
"Learning from Caperton: Ensuring Judicial Impartiality |
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The recent U.S. Supreme
Court decision in Caperton v Massey Coal Company, 129 S. Ct.
2252 2009), was a reminder that an impartial judge is a requirement
of due process and that even just the appearance of bias can rise to
the level of a constitutional violation. Emphasizing the
importance of an objective inquiry, the Court held that, because the
campaign efforts of the principal officer of a party "had a
significant and disproportionate influence" in placing one of the
justices of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals on the case,
that justice's failure to disqualify violated the Due Process Clause
of the U.S. Constitution. The reversal of one state court
decision on impartiality grounds should act as a wake-up call for
all state judiciaries to re-examine their practices and rules
regarding disqualification even outside the "extraordinary" facts
and election context of Caperton. |
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June 19,
2008 |
"The Evolving Role of the Trial Judge" |
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The Changing Face of
Judging discussed by panelists Alan L. Pearson, Iowa District Court
Judge; Kristin Hibbs; Jaki K. Samuelson, attorney with Whitfield and
Eddy; Leon F. Spies, Attorney with Mellon & Spies. Moderator
was Mark J. Wiedenfeld, Attorney with Wiedenfeld & McLaughlin
New Iowa Rules Addressing Electronic Discovery
presented by Michael W. Thrall, Attorney with Nyemaster Goode Law
Firm.
The Future of Trial Judging discussed by
Annette J. Scieszinski, Iowa District Court Judge; Brian P.
Galligan, Attorney with Galligan, Galligan, Doyle, Reid & Galligan;
and Dwight W. James, Attorney with The James Law Firm. |
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November 28, 2007 |
"Justice at Home and Abroad: the Importance of the Rule of Law" |
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Agenda
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Program Summary |
Promotional Flyer |
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April 20, 2007 |
"Maintaining Iowa's Fair and Impartial Judiciary" |
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U.S. Magistrate Judge for
the Southern District of Iowa, Celeste F. Bremer, President of the
Iowa Family Policy Center, Chuck D. Hurley, Iowa District Court
Judge, Jeffrey A. Neary, Past President of the Iowa Bar Association
and the Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers, Nick Critelli. Moderated by
American Judicature Society Executive Vice President, Seth S.
Andersen |
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March 8, 2007 |
"Collisions of Conscience and Professional Responsibility: When
Judges, Pharmacists, Lawyers, and Doctors Choose Not to Serve" |
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Agenda |
Program Summary |
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Faculty Biographies |
Promotional Flyer |
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November
1, 2006 |
Judging
Elections: How Courts Shape the Democratic Process
Presented by Adjunct Professor of Political Science at Drake
University, Kieran Williams, Assistant Professor of Politics &
International Relations at Drake University, Rachel Paine Caufield
and Executive Director and Legal Counsel for the Iowa Ethics and
Campaign Disclosure Board, Charlie Smithson. |
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February 28, 2006 |
How the Media Impacts Judicial Independence and Accountability
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More than 80 attendees were treated to presentations by the Honorable
Mark Bennett, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern
District of Iowa; Professor Rachel Paine Caufield, Consultant to the AJS Hunter
Center for Judicial Selection; and Professor Kathleen Richardson, Drake School
of Journalism.
The presentations were followed by a lively panel discussion and
Q & A session with the audience. Professor Mark Kende, James Madison Chair
and Director of the Constitutional Law Center at Drake Law School
moderated the program. |
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February 9, 2006 |
The Jury and the American Litigation Process |
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Professor David McCord reported on how
the jury has evolved in American history, with primary focus on the
"jury reform" movement that has gathered steam over the past two
decades. He examined the slow transition from juries as
passive recipients of information to the emerging model of jurors as
active learners. This movement has been given a significant
boost through the new ABA Jury Trial Principles, adopted in February
2005. Judge
Dale E. Ruigh, Iowa District Court, presented on “plain English”
jury instructions. The presentation provided a historical overview
of the conversion of jury instructions from “legalese” into plain
English, both in Iowa and elsewhere; methods for drafting and
communicating the instructions to the jury for maximum
comprehension; and a discussion of the benefits to the trial bar of
plain English instructions.
Attorney Timothy Eckley presented on the
phenomenon of the "vanishing jury trial," which has been noted with alarm by
many researchers. Eckley traced the numerical decline in trials over the
past forty years, propose causes for the trends, and canvass possible remedial
measures.
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November
15, 2005 |
Pro Se Litigation in
Iowa |
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Panelists included: Iowa
District Court Judge Patrick Grady, Iowa District Court Judge Robert
Blink, Iowa Legal Aid Attorney, Chris Luzzie, Iowa Legal Aid, Eve
Ricaurte and Drake Law School Professor, Robert Rigg. Panel
was moderated by Drake Law School Professor, Andrea Charlow. |
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October
3, 2005 |
Barry
Scheck on Wrongful Convictions |
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Cofounder and
executive director of the Innocence Project at Cardozo School of
Law, Scheck
is a nationally recognized expert on the use of DNA evidence in the
courtroom.
Scheck’s current focus is the
Innocence Project, a labor of love which came into existence in 1992
with colleague Peter Neufeld. The Project is based at Cardozo Law
School in New York His work has awakened many Americans to the
reality that their criminal justice system is not flawless. His
efforts have helped identify and highlight the defects that require
attention.
Over 200
people were in attendance.
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