When someone comes into a courthouse looking for help, it’s usually the court or clerk’s office staff who leads them in the right direction. It is court and clerk employees who get questions from self-represented litigants and tell the media where court records can be found. Staff members are expected to be the front lines of public service, yet on-going training is not always available for the personnel who interact most frequently with the public.
Longtime courthouse staff may remember the annual Indiana Court Personnel Conference. The last time it was offered cassette tapes were in, Terry Bradshaw played in Super Bowl X and Saturday Night Fever was at the movie theater. In 1980, federal funding through Law Enforcement Assistance Administration for the conference was discontinued. Individual courts, clerks, Indiana Judicial Center and State Court Administration continued to provide educational opportunities—but a group solely dedicated to court and clerk staff education did not remain intact.
Since 1980, the number of local judicial branch employees has increased as new courts were added. Training needs and expectations have changed. In the future, education for judicial branch employees will be delivered in many different ways. Gone are the days of a single large conference for all the state’s local court personnel. All levels of the judicial system will have an active role in educating local court and clerk staff.
An initiative is now underway to coordinate statewide court and clerk staff training. The Judicial Branch Personnel Advisory Committee began meeting in June. The 14-member committee is exploring educational opportunities for staff across the state. An online training course is being offered for supervisors. In November, jury administrators will attend a one-day conference. Soon, a questionnaire will be distributed to courts and clerks across the state to get feedback from staff, judges and clerks. The feedback will be very helpful in planning the direction of personnel education.
Each court or clerk employee plays a valuable part in the judicial system and making sure all of Indiana’s citizens enjoy the freedoms of this great country. It is hoped that greater coordination of educational offerings will make that important job easier and more effective.