The Upskill Battle: Courts and Employee Career Development

March 17th, 2026, Court Leader’s Advantage Podcast Episode

Brought to You in Cooperation with the National Association for Court Management

Career development is essential for both individual success and the long-term health of any organization. There are several obvious benefits to an organization having a solid career development program.

Improved Performance and Results

When people keep learning, they get better at their jobs, they produce higher quality work, and are better problem-solvers.

Increased Employee Engagement and Retention

Employees feel more valued when they can see a future for themselves. They are more likely to stay and give their best.

Organizations Can More Easily Adapt to Change

Career development helps staff stay current with business trends and adjust to new roles.

Why, then, do so many organizations, including courts, struggle to implement effective career development programs?

Competing Business Priorities

Career development often feels less urgent than meeting case processing targets, struggling with budget shortfalls, and dealing with unexpected events such as high-profile trials.

Limited Time and Resources

Career development takes staff time, money, and structure. All are scarce resources. Training budgets are often the first to be cut in tight times.

Management Mindset

Not all managers feel responsible to develop their people. Some may focus on employees just doing their jobs, or worry about losing strong employees to jobs elsewhere.

Limited Internal Opportunities

In smaller organizations, especially, there just aren’t many rungs on the ladder to the executive level.

This month, we are discussing courts and career development programs. Katie Hemphill wrote a terrific article in the Fall 2025 issue of the Court Manager. It explains why career development matters and how courts can build effective programs.

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Today’s Panel

Katie Hempill is retired from the Federal Courts and is currently consulting. She joined the Clerk’s Office of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in November 2020. Her primary responsibilities included office administration, financial and travel management, and program support for projects and working groups.

She also coordinated the office’s onboarding program and other professional development programming. Katie was a member of the Federal Court Clerks Association and the National Association for Court Management.

Prior to joining the judiciary, Katie worked in the travel industry in sales and leadership positions, which included staff training and development, business planning, and financial planning and reporting. Katie received her bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Marshall University and graduated this May with her master’s degree in Government studies from the Harvard Extension School.

Juli Edwards-McDaniel joined the National Center for State Courts’ Education and Professional Development team in 2018 as a curriculum developer. During the pandemic, she played a key role in transitioning the Institute for Court Management’s courses to a virtual format for the first time in its 50-year history. She currently collaborates with subject matter experts to revise online self-study courses and co-teaches faculty development sessions focused on effective virtual learning practices.

Juli serves as Vice President of the National Association of State Judicial Educators and has co-chaired multiple committees, including leading the development of a seven-part webinar series that expanded access to the Fundamentals of the Profession program.

With more than 21 years of experience in adult education, including work in child welfare and child protective services in Virginia, Juli holds a master’s degree in education with a specialization in instructional design for online learning.

Aaron Burdick is a Professional Development Manager in the Judicial College Division with the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC). During his 14-year career, he has assisted justice partners nationally implement effective continuing education curriculum.

Aaron serves as Co-Chair of the National Association of State Judicial Educators (NASJE) New Professionals Committee. Additionally, he is Vice Chair of the National Association of Pretrial Service Agencies (NAPSA) Education Committee. Prior to the AOIC, he was a Chief Managing Officer and Director of Court Services in Illinois.