Can Hiring a Court Manager Be Merit-Based?

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?

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?

What is the Probablity That Within the Next Ten Years Homelessness in the United States Reaches Crisis Levels

A CourtFutures Survey Results Article: April 10, 2025 The CourtFutures SurveyThe CourtFutures survey, which has tracked over 240 scenarios since 2012, assesses the likelihood of various future situations impacting the courts. While the survey has traditionally focused on an annual report of top trends, the rise of Artificial Intelligence has enabled a deeper analysis of … Continue reading What is the Probablity That Within the Next Ten Years Homelessness in the United States Reaches Crisis Levels

Artificial Intelligence: Ethics and Courts

January 23, 2025, Question of Ethics Conversation Brought to You in Cooperation with the National Association for Court Management Artificial intelligence has the potential to reshape the judicial system. AI-powered tools, from legal research assistants to sentencing algorithms and customer service chatbots, offer efficiency but also introduce risks, particularly bias. Additionally, the confidentiality of court … Continue reading Artificial Intelligence: Ethics and Courts

The 8 Tasks of Leadership

The 100th Vantage Point Blog post reflects on leadership amidst significant governmental changes in the U.S. It highlights the NACM CORE® Leadership Competency defining leadership as a vision-driven process. Effective leaders excel in eight tasks: setting direction, delegation, staffing, decision-making, motivating, managing dynamics, instituting culture, and communicating, guiding their organizations to success.

Demystifying and Measuring the Rule of Law

Next week I am delivering a talk for the Albuquerque International Association on “Demystifying and Measuring the Rule of Law Worldwide.”[i] In an era where the term Rule of Law is frequently invoked yet often misused and misunderstood, this talk aims to demystify its meaning and global significance. Drawing on extensive experience in both U.S. … Continue reading Demystifying and Measuring the Rule of Law