2022 Judicial Education Course Catalog

MAY THURSDAY, MAY 12 Jury Trial Fundamentals 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

TUESDAY, MAY 24 Mindfulness Meditation 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Judges and magistrates have to make decisions. They need undistracted, calm and open minds, despite seeing hundreds of similar cases and dealing with time pressures, conflicts, and difficult personalities. Developing a mindfulness meditation practice reduces stress and promotes focused, non-judgmental attention in the present moment. When you hear the word “meditation,” you may have misconceptions. Join us for this class and experience meditation as a relaxing process with scientifically proven health and decision-making benefits. Mindfulness meditation practice is being taught to judges, lawyers, and law students across the country — and they are reaping the benefits. In it’s Path to Well Being Report, the Conference of Chief Judges, the ABA and others recommend the practice of mindfulness meditation. Coordinator/Faculty: Rachel A. Wohl, Esq. Self-care is what we all should be doing to be healthy in our stress filled society. However, resiliency is what we need to develop when we are exposed to an environment of high stress, trauma and secondary trauma. Judges and judicial staff are exposed to evidence, exhibits and relayed experiences of trauma on a daily basis in their professional capacity. This course will discuss what impact that exposure has on the body, brain and behavior of those who are exposed to it, and how to create a personalized Resiliency Plan to mitigate that impact. Coordinator/Faculty: Duane T. Bowers, LPC Got Buoyancy? Resiliency Training for Judges 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. The two most litigated issues arising out of construction projects are for construction defects and disputes over entitlement to payment. Any trepidation about presiding over a construction case involving these two issues will crumble after attending this program. The faculty is comprised of members of the bar who concentrate their practices in these areas and are universally recognized for their individual and collective expertise. Build a solid foundation on topics including: construction defect claims, express and implied warranties for new home and condominium construction, claims and causes of action that are frequently asserted in construction defect litigation, payment bond disputes on public construction projects in Maryland (Maryland Little Miller Act), mechanic’s lien rights and procedures (Maryland Mechanic’s Lien Statute), claims and relief available for failures to make prompt payment on construction projects (Maryland Prompt Payment Act), and statutory trusts and potential for individual liability for failure to make payment to downstream contractors (Maryland Trust Fund Statute). Coordinator: Judge Diane O. Leasure (Ret.) Faculty: Raymond D. Burke, Esq.; Michael A. Schollaert, Esq. FRIDAY, MAY 27 Construction Defects and Payment Issues 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

The federal and Maryland Constitutions protect the right to jury trials for Marylanders. Judges are the key to making the system work in a fair and efficient way. This course will prepare new and experienced judges alike with respect to analyzing the legal qualifications for being a juror in Maryland; the respective roles of the jury commissioners, jury judges, and trial judges in deciding who can and must serve; review how potential jurors with disabilities should be treated; highlight the process of jury selection for criminal and civil trial and the respective roles of the court and lawyers; discuss striking and peremptory challenges along with Batson challenges; and many other critical nuts and bolts issues to consider as the presiding trial judge! Coordinator: Judge Dennis M. Sweeney (Ret.) Faculty: TBD THURSDAY, MAY 19 “Is It Because I Am Black?”: Disproportionality and Disparity in the Courtroom 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. African Americans are incarcerated in state prisons across the country at more than five times the rate of whites, and at least ten times the rate in five states. In 2014, Maryland led all states with blacks being 72% of all persons sent to jail. This is especially troubling when African Americans only make up ~30% of Marylanders. Brown, poor, and LGBTQ persons do not measure much better, and are more likely to be sent to jail than their white counterparts. How do judges play a part in these disparities? What are judges missing? What biases underlie our self-proclaimed equal treatment of defendants? More importantly, how do we get better and minimize the disparity in the courtroom? Coordinator/Faculty: Judge Zuberi B. Williams Faculty: TBD

Honorable Audrey J. S. Carrion Circuit Court for Baltimore City for your commitment to Judicial Education! Thank you

Judicial College of Maryland

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