December 16th, 2025, Court Leader’s Advantage Podcast Episode Brought to You in Cooperation with the National Association for Court Management There are strong arguments favoring selection of court managers based on objective merit-focused criteria. While there is little desire to expand the “merit system” to the managerial level, hiring and promotion decisions rooted in proven … Continue reading Can Hiring a Court Manager Be Merit-Based?
Court Leadership and Professional Competencies, Issue #11 – Six Essential Leadership Skills
This issue includes six essential leadership skills.
2025 WJP Rule of Law Index
The 2025 Rule of Law Index of the World Justice Project paints a dismal picture of the state of the Rule of Law around the world. We need to take action to reverse the downward trend in far too many countries.
Fulfilling the Public’s Trust: Competency
Competency is the sum of the knowledge and skills required for effective performance.
Court Leadership and Professional Competencies, Issue #9 – Court Administration Hierarchy
This issue reviews a hierarchy of court leader KSAs.
Disengaged and Disappearing: What Is the Threat to Our Courts?
September 16th, 2025, Court Leader’s Advantage Podcast Episode Brought to You in Cooperation with the National Association for Court Management Employee disengagement is a critical national issue, one that quietly undermines productivity, economic growth, and workplace culture across the United States. According to a 2024 Gallup Corporation report: Only 33% of Employees are Actively Engaged … Continue reading Disengaged and Disappearing: What Is the Threat to Our Courts?
NACM’s 40th Anniversary Conference’s Outstanding Education Program
Last month I attended the National Association for Court Management (NACM)[i] annual conference in Omaha, where we celebrated NACM’s 40th anniversary. As a Charter Member of NACM, it was wonderful to see how much NACM has grown and achieved over the decades. At the conference there was great professional networking, a fine vendor exhibition, and … Continue reading NACM’s 40th Anniversary Conference’s Outstanding Education Program
Justice by Design: Can We Achieve Open, Standardized Court Data?
July 15th, 2025, Court Leader’s Advantage Podcast Episode Brought to You in Cooperation with the National Association for Court Management One of the major challenges facing state trial courts today is the disturbing lack of accurate national statistical data. Beneath the surface of our justice system lies a troubling truth: we often don’t know, we … Continue reading Justice by Design: Can We Achieve Open, Standardized Court Data?
The End of USAID and its Rule of Law Programs
The termination of USAID ends decades of positive work to strengthen civil societies and institutions. A key example is the end of Rule of Law projects, in which I participated for over two decades.
What is meant by “Due Process?”
Last November’s blog post explored the meaning of the Rule of Law.[i] That post presented four universal Rule of Law principles: Accountability -The government as well as private actors are accountable under the law. Just Law – The law is clear, publicized, and stable and is applied evenly. It ensures human rights as well as … Continue reading What is meant by “Due Process?”
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