2021 Judicial Conference Program

Constitution Day 2020 Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the subcommittee continued its efforts and initiatives to celebrate Constitution Day 2020 in a safe manner. The subcommittee created a new graphic design to be used online, both internally and externally, as well as for its Twitter campaign. This year, the subcommittee supplied a script for judges to use at the start of their dockets on September 17, 2020, and it encouraged judges to engage in socially distanced celebrations of Constitution Day. Civics and Law Academy The subcommittee revisited its Civics and Law Academy, which the Judiciary offered to schools for several years in partnership with the American Bar Association, the MSBA, and the Citizenship Law-Related Education Program, now renamed My Law. The program is geared toward middle school and high school students and provides a curriculum on the law and society. The academy helps to prepare students to participate in the United States’ democratic society. Judges, legal professionals, and educators share their expertise, experience, and enthusiasm for civic engagement. The programs’ curriculum, activities, literature, and tests are available and can be used for local Civics and Law Academy programs that can be coordinated and implemented by judges in local jurisdictions. Language Access Subcommittee The Language Access Subcommittee, chaired by Hon. Toni Clarke, provides guidance and support for the court language services provided through Access to Justice. Interpreter Management Software The Language Access Subcommittee has been monitoring efforts by Access to Justice to explore the adoption of interpreter management software. The software was piloted in early 2020 and is now in use for all interpreter scheduling and invoicing. Use of the software has streamlined the interpreter management process. With the advent of the COVID-19 health emergency, courts were able to use the system to easily cancel or reschedule events and are now using it to schedule proceedings involving interpreters from the Maryland Court Interpreter Registry on the phone and on video conference in addition to in-person proceedings. Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) Work Group The VRI Work Group of the Court Access & Community Relations Committee was created to oversee the implementation of a pilot project to use video-remote interpreting (VRI) in the Maryland courts. A final report summarizing the pilot project was submitted to the State Court Administrator. The VRI Work Group was sunset by the CACR Committee in October 2019. During late 2019 and early 2020, Access to Justice continued pursuing plans, in collaboration with JIS and others, to expand the program. With the dawn of the COVID-19 health emergency Maryland courts began using Zoom for Government to host remote proceedings. This new platform created an opportunity for the use of Zoom for hybrid proceedings involving some individuals in the courtroom and others participating remotely. Support for Use of Interpreters in Remote Proceedings The Court Interpreter Program team began providing extensive training for interpreters on the Maryland Court Interpreter Registry on how to interpret in remote proceedings using Zoom for Government. Staff has conducted several basic and advanced webinars, training several hundred interpreters to date. In addition, staff are holding weekly hands-on trainings for interpreters so they can use the Zoom controls and practice their remote interpreting skills in a mock trial setting. In addition, Court Interpreter Program staff have developed instructions for the Zoom interpreting feature for judges/hosts, interpreters, and Limited English Proficient individuals. These materials have been included in the Remote Proceedings Bench Book and are available online. Language Access Plan The Language Access Subcommittee completed its efforts to revise the Language Access Plan for the Maryland Judiciary. As noted above, the plan has been approved by the full CACR Committee and will be presented to the Judicial Council in November 2020. Interpreter Complaints The subcommittee provides guidance and oversight to Access to Justice in fielding complaints about registry interpreters. During the past year, the subcommittee reviewed several interpreter complaints and recommended how those concerns should be resolved.

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