2025 Judicial Education Course Catalog

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30 Domestic Violence — Understanding Coercive Control D I & 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Understanding coercive control as a form of intimate partner violence: Not all abuse leaves visible scars. Coercive control does not always result in physical injuries. The abuser very carefully creates a situation where the victim is made to feel inferior. The victim is often isolated both socially and economically by the abuser and feels unable to leave the situation. This class will discuss the signs of coercive control and teach participants how to recognize the effect that it has on victims and families. Coordinator: Hon. Diana Adkins-Tobin Impact of Trauma on Mental Health D I & 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Seventy percent of adults in the United States have experienced some form of trauma. Traumas affect mental health. How we, as judges, address the implications of trauma on individuals in the judicial system can make a world of difference for them and case outcomes (and us!). Understanding trauma and its complications should be a high priority! Coordinator: Hon. Lynne Battaglia

TUESDAY, JANUARY 14 We’re All in This Together: Navigating Mental Health Needs in Family Law Cases and Helping Families Heal D I & 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Parties often come to court using mental health diagnoses as weapons to restrict custody, access, reunification, and other relief. Judges are often confronted with requests for psychological exams and insufficient evidence of the implications of mental health diagnoses for caregivers and children. This course will explore the broad implications of mental health issues in family matters, enable participants to better serve adults and children with mental health needs, and provide tools for reducing strife in the courtroom and the community. Coordinator: Hon. Cathy Serrette THURSDAY, JANUARY 16 Sex Offender Dynamics and Treatment 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. This will be a comprehensive course teaching judges the dynamics and treatment of juvenile and adult sexual offenders. We will identify for judges the risks inherently associated with the viewing of evidence from discovery through preparing and litigating motions through to the adjudicatory stages during the case. Attendees will learn through examples of different sexual offender dynamics and treatment from prosecutors, defense attorneys, parole and probation officers, and treatment providers. Attendees will also learn evidence-based domains of sexual offender risk and treatment needs and linkages with case management planning outlined in order to draft an appropriate and safe probation contract. Judges will learn the various sexual offender treatment protocols and how sexual offenders can manipulate victims and even judges when avoiding treatment after sentencing and during probation. The expert on sexual offender dynamics and treatment will describe methods for how they incorporate change information into evaluations of treatment readiness and sexual recidivism risk assessments. Throughout the training, case examples and clinical anecdotes will illustrate core concepts and key takeaways. Coordinator: Hon. Donine Carrington-Martin

2025 Judicial Education Course Catalog

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