California Center for Judicial Education & Research

The Center for Judicial Education and Research (CJER), the Education Division of the Administrative Office of the Courts in California, regularly provides information to new judges in our orientation programs about the Judicial Family Institute, including its website address.

Judge Julie Conger of Alameda County Superior Court has provided edits to the American Judicature Society’s An Ethics Guide for Judges and Their Families to make it California specific. With AJS’s approval, we will be mailing this to all the families of our new judges after they have participated in our new judge orientation programs. AJS’s own Cynthia Gray was in California recently and allowed us to interview her for a planned video for judges and their families.

We were proud to have Judge Ken Kawaichi, also of the Alameda County Superior Court, do a presentation for the Conference of Chief Justices last year on A Familial Look at the Canon of Judicial Ethics. He used his wonderful sense of humor to present a lively discussion for judicial families. He began his presentation with three door prizes and challenged his audience to decide which of the gifts (if any) could be accepted based on the Canons and the hypothetical circumstances he provided. In addition to gifts, his presentation included topics of civic and charitable activities, financial activities, political activities, disqualification, practice of law, and misuse of office. He ended his presentation by having small groups discuss the following:
Your child plays first cornet in the high school marching band. They have a fundraiser car wash and bake sale. What dos and don’ts?

Develop five tips for a friend who is about to become a judge or whose spouse is about to become a judge. Kawaichi’s presentation is available on the Judicial Family Institute website in a PowerPoint (notes view).

Martha Kilbourn
Manager
Administrative and Staff Education
Center for Judicial Education & Research