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AJS News Archive
AJS Board of Directors Midyear Meeting The Board of Directors will meet Thursday, February 2 from 8:00 am - 4:30 pm in New Orleans, LA. Posted 1/22/2012 Click here to learn more.CLE Opportunities Available On-Demand Still need Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit hours before 12/31/11? Check out the 18 different On-Demand webcasts AJS has to offer. Posted 12/26/2011 Click here to access On-Demand webcasts.AJS 2010 Annual Report The 2010 American Judicature Society Annual Report is now available. Posted 9/29/2011 Click here to view the PDF or request a hard copy by mail.A Test of the Simultaneous vs. Sequential Lineup Methods Since 2008, the AJS Center for Forensic Science and Public Policy, in collaboration with the Innocence Project, the Police Foundation, and the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing, have been engaged in an effort to examine eyewitness identification procedures in the field, namely the reliability of simultaneous versus sequential lineups administered under double-blind conditions using laptop computers. The report was released today on the analysis of over 850 lineups collected across four sites. Posted 9/18/2011 For news conference details, or to view the report, click here.Peter D. Webster Takes Office as President of AJS Peter D. Webster began a one-year term as President of the American Judicature Society (AJS) at the organization’s annual meeting held earlier this month in Toronto. Webster is a shareholder in the Tallahassee, Florida, office of Carlton Fields. Posted 8/18/2011 Click here for more information.AJS Action Alert: Threats to Merit Selection All Americans rely upon a fair and impartial justice system to ensure our rights and freedoms, promote equal opportunity, and maintain stability and economic prosperity under the rule of law. For today and future generations, we must guarantee that our courts are guided by a principled commitment to fairness and excellence. Merit selection systems for judges are the best means of ensuring that our courts fulfill that commitment. Posted 3/7/2011 To learn more, click here.New Lesson Plan on the Jury System AJS is pleased to announce the availability of the fourth lesson plan in its High School Curriculum on the Judiciary. The new lesson plan—The Jury System—helps students understand the role of juries in our judicial system and how juries came to be used to ensure justice and protect individual rights. Funding for the development of the High School Curriculum on the Judiciary was provided by the Spencer Williams Foundation for Judicial Independence. Posted 2/28/2011 Click here to view the new lesson.AJS Testimony on Judicial Selection in Iowa Dr. Rachel Paine Caufield, Research Fellow for the AJS Hunter Center for Judicial Selection, provided testimony to the Iowa House Judiciary Committee on merit selection processes. Posted 2/21/2011 Click here to learn more.AJS seeks your opinion With nearly 100 years of experience and service promoting an independent and qualified judiciary and a fair system of justice, the American Judicature Society recognizes the continual need to evolve to better serve our members and the public. In an effort to improve our areas of service, we’d like to ask you to take approximately 5 minutes to complete an online anonymous survey about AJS and your experience (or lack of) with the organization. The survey is 25 multiple choice questions total, and simply requests your opinion on a variety of matters. Your answers are completely anonymous and are vital to our evaluation of AJS, our member services, and our mission. Thank you for your time in assisting us. Please feel free to call our office with any questions or concerns related to the anonymous survey. The survey will close Friday, February 4. Posted 1/24/2011 Click here to access the survey.Hon. Randy J. Holland to Receive Dwight D. Opperman Award Hon. Randy J. Holland, Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court, has been selected as the recipient of the Seventh Annual Dwight D. Opperman Award for Judicial Excellence. Justice Holland was chosen by the three-member panel: Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard, Indiana Supreme Court and last year’s AJS Opperman Award recipient; Judge Cara Lee Neville, Hennepin County District Court (MN), and Judge Steve Leben, Kansas Court of Appeals. Posted 1/19/2011 To view the News Release, click here.AJS offers CLE on Eyewitness Identification Evidence Mistaken eyewitness identification is the leading cause of the wrongful convictions in the United States, playing a role in more than 75% of the 261 cases overturned through DNA testing. While several states, such as North Carolina and New Jersey, and numerous law enforcement agencies have already implemented new lineup procedures based on social science research, jurisdictions are beginning to move towards reforming current practices. Posted 11/29/2010 To register for this CLE program, click here.AJS President William D. Johnston responds to Wall Street Journal editorial on ouster of Iowa Supreme Court justices. In applauding the recent retention election defeat of three justices of the Iowa Supreme Court, the Journal warns, "If judges want to avoid recalls, they should leave social legislation to legislators" ("Iowa's Total Recall," Review & Outlook, Nov. 6). This view fails to recognize a core responsibility of the judiciary as an independent third branch of government: to determine the constitutionality of acts of the legislature and executive branch. Posted 11/10/2010 To read the full letter to the editor, click here.Indiana Judge Gregory J. Donat to Receive Access to Justice Award Judge Gregory J. Donat of the Tippecanoe Superior Court in Lafayette, Indiana has been named the 2010 recipient of the American Judicature Society’s Kathleen M. Sampson Access to Justice Award. The award recognizes Judge Donat’s leadership of efforts to improve access to justice for all people. Posted 9/14/2010 Click here to view the News Release.Former AJS President Larry Hammond to Receive Morris Dees Justice Award Larry Hammond, AJS President from 2003-2005, has been named the 2010 recipient of the Morris Dees Justice Award. Posted 8/31/2010 To view the News Release, click here.States Act to Revise Judicial Selection A growing number of states are rewriting their rules on selecting judges to curb the influence of special interests on judicial contests. Posted 3/30/2010 Click here to read the With assistance from pro bono counsel O’Melveny & Myers LLP in Los Angeles, CA, AJS has filed an amicus curiae brief in Kirk v. Carpeneti, a case involving the Alaska Judicial Council (AJC) that is currently before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. A U.S. District Court judge ruled in September 2009 that the role of lawyer members of the AJC, who are appointed by the Board of Governors of the Alaska Bar Association, in nominating judicial candidates for appointment by the governor does not violate the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Posted 3/10/2010 Click here to read the Brief.Statement by AJS President Regarding US Supreme Court Decision Today’s decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission poses another challenge for states that are struggling to insulate their judiciaries from the corrosive effects of money, interest group pressure and partisan politics in judicial elections. Posted 1/20/2010 Click here to read the full statement.Former Attorney General Janet Reno Received Justice Award Hon. Janet Reno, former U.S. Attorney General, received the Justice Award, the American Judicature Society's highest honor, at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on Friday, April 17, 2009. Posted 4/6/2009 For view a list of past recipients, click here.AJS Statement on Iowa Supreme Court decision on marriage rights The question before the Iowa Supreme Court in Varnum et al. v. Brien was straightforward: Is the legislatively enacted Iowa Code statute limiting civil marriage to a union between a man and a woman in violation of the Iowa Constitution? Posted 4/3/2009 Click here to view the statement.New Survey of Voters in Washington State Shows Support for Merit Selection In partnership with AJS, Washington State University researchers conducted a survey of voter attitudes towards judicial selection methods. Follow the link below to access a media release which contains links to the full report on the results. Posted 1/14/2009 Click here for media release and links to the full report.Voters in Four Jurisdictions Opt for Merit Selection on November 4 On Election Day 2008, voters in four counties cast ballots in favor of judicial merit selection. Posted 11/4/2008 Click here for an AJS statement on these efforts.Howard Witt Wins National Journalism Award Howard Witt, national correspondent for the Chicago Tribune, has won the 2008 American Judicature Society's Toni House Journalism Award. Posted 6/16/2008 Click here to view the News Release.Tenth Circuit Judge to Receive National Devitt Award Deanell Reece Tacha, Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, has been selected as the recipient of the 26th Annual Edward J. Devitt Distinguished Service to Justice Award. Posted 5/23/2008 To view the News Release, click here.Working Towards a Better Justice System Since 1913 The American Judicature Society unveils a new resource for all who are interested learning more about or sharing with others the mission and message of AJS - to secure and promote an independent and qualified judiciary and a fair system of justice. Posted 4/16/2008 Click here to view the new video.AJS responds to proposed selection reform in Missouri The Missouri House of Representatives is currently considering a proposal (HCS HJR 49) that would alter the Missouri Plan for judicial selection. Posted 3/17/2008 For additional information, click here.Judicial Selection: How It Works, Why It Matters AJS is pleased to offer a new guide for state legislators on the complex and critical issue of selecting state court judges. Judicial Selection: How It Works, Why It Matters is a joint product of AJS and the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System. Posted 3/1/2008 Click here to download or to order a hard copy.Judicial Selection in the States Website The redesigned, updated, and expanded Judicial Selection in the States website, made possible by funding from Open Society Institute, is now online. New features and increased accessibility make this site an even more valuable go-to resource. To leave the AJS Web site and go to the Judicial Selection in the States site follow the link below. Posted 9/6/2007 Click here to view the Judicial Selection in the States website. |
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