2023 Judicial Education Course Catalog

APRIL TUESDAY, APRIL 4 ADR/Settlement Conferences 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Learn more about yourself and how that information can be used in settlement/pretrial conferences. This interactive course will provide tools to use in settlement/pretrial conferences starting with careful listening to identify perspectives of the participants and their attorneys and how to use that information to guide a productive settlement conversation. Identify obstacles to settlement such as underlying emotional issues and potential personality disorders and learn tools to overcome such obstacles. Interact with a Senior Judge who regularly conducts settlement/pre trial conferences and also serves as a private mediator as well as an experienced family law mediator. During the program, we will discuss specific situational problems you have experienced and how they were handled. Coordinator: Judge Mimi R. Cooper Faculty: Judge Diane O. Leasure (Sr.) ; Cecilia B. Paizs, Esq. MD Health General Sections 8-505 & 8-507 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Many Defendants suffer from drug and alcohol abuse. Under Section 8-505 of the Health General Article, before or during a criminal trial or before sentencing a court may order the Health Department to evaluate a defendant to determine whether, by reason of drug or alcohol abuse, the defendant is in need of and may benefit from treatment. What are the considerations for a judge utilizing this provision? We can also look at this provision through an implicit bias lens. This is course is applicable to District and Circuit Court judges, seasoned and not as seasoned. Coordinator: Judge Stacy W. McCormack; Judge Danielle M. Mosley Faculty: TBD

TUESDAY, MARCH 21 Cultural Considerations in Family Law 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. How does cultural diversity impact the experience of litigants in our courtrooms, our assessment of the credibility of witnesses, and our ultimate decisions? This course will look at the manifestation of cultural diversity in the courtroom in CINA, domestic violence, divorce, and other family law matters, as well as the steps we can take to make the courtroom a more welcoming just environment. Coordinator: Judge Cathy H. Serrette Faculty: Maria Nenutzka Villamar, Esq.; Dr. Denise McCain; Shanta Trivedi; Yolanda Kirby The Do’s & Don’ts of Child Interviews 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. As a magistrate or judge you will often interview children in the course of your family law duties. Not all interviews are witness testimony. This course will focus on the child interviews that a judge or magistrate may see and tips for best practices and avoiding pitfalls. Coordinator/Faculty: Judge Judy L. Woodall Faculty: Magistrate Althea Stewart-Jones; V. Peter Markuski, Jr., Esq. THURSDAY, MARCH 30 Family Law Update 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. The Family Court docket: Some love it. Some would prefer to love it from afar. In addition to providing practical tips and pointers for the newest members of our judicial family, the faculty will focus on updates to statutory, procedural, and judicial authority. The course will review important issues concerning divorce, alimony, marital property, child custody and access, use of best interest attorneys, child support, and parenting plans. Coordinator: Judge Cathy H. Serrette Faculty: Judge Kathleen Dumais; Judge Monice Brown; Judge Yevette Bryant; Judge Andrea Leahy

2023 Judicial Education Course Catalog

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