2021 Judicial Conference Program

Legislative Work Group The Legislative Work Group, chaired by Hon. Cynthia Callahan, met by conference call throughout the 2020 legislative session. The work group drafted nineteen (19) position papers during the 2020 session. Special Status Work Group During the reporting period, the Special Status Work Group, co-chaired by Hon. Cathy Hollenberg Serrette and Hon. James Green, focused on developing recommendations for improving how courts handle Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) cases. On July 1, 2020, rule changes recommended by the work group went into effect. They provide for expeditious handling of SIJS cases so they can be judged on the merits, rather than by the passage of time. A quick guide for judges with a summary of the rule changes, types of matters that warrant emergency treatment, and best practices for drafting predicate SIJS orders was also developed. The work group will next focus on training for judges and attorneys who handle SIJS matters and a U and T visa protocol.

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