Judging in a Changing World

Course description

This week-long program is designed to help trial court judges at all levels meet the challenges of a legal and social landscape that continues to change around the bench. Through interactive sessions, case studies and group discussion, participants will examine how new technology, emerging case law and shifting public expectations are reshaping the daily work of the courts.

Topics include the authentication and admission of electronic evidence, including evidence created or altered with artificial intelligence, judicial ethics in a digital world, and how courts can better serve self-represented litigants. The course will also review recent developments in search and seizure and the Confrontation Clause, and the practical demands of managing a modern docket.

In addition to substantive law and evidentiary issues, the course will address the human side of judging, including compassion fatigue, courtroom security, judicial leadership, and strategies for maintaining balance in the face of difficult cases.

Set among the red-rock canyons of Zion Mountain Ranch, just outside Zion National Park, this program offers both professional enrichment and personal renewal. With afternoons free to explore one of the country’s most remarkable national parks, judges will come away with fresh perspectives, practical tools and a wider network of colleagues from across the country.

Faculty

Faculty for this conference will be announced soon. AIJ instructors are nationally recognized jurists, many of whom also teach at law schools and for organizations such as the National Judicial College. Meet our active faculty.

Agenda

The tentative agenda will be posted here and emailed with your registration confirmation. While topics may evolve, the time schedule stays constant, so you can confidently plan your day, excursions and dinner arrangements after class.