A division of UNM's School of law earned national recognition for it innovative Web-based judicial educational programming when it was presented a national award at the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.
The Judicial Education Center of New Mexico, a division of the UNM School of Law's Institute of Public Law, established its Web site in 1997 in an effort to give New Mexico judges and court staff a learning tool and continuing education that aids them in making courtroom decisions.
The Web site aids newer non-lawyer magistrate, metropolitan and municipal judges as they log onto the Web site and try criminal cases in a simulated courtroom situation.
Paul Biderman, Associate Director of the Institute, accepted the Howell Heflin award on behalf of the Judicial Education Center.
"Judicial educators provide a vital service for the courts of our country by providing judges with opportunities and tools to anticipate and confront the future," Biderman said.
Judges currently have the opportunity to participate in a simulated DWI trial using video testimony where they, the user, act as the judge.
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During the course of the training through the Internet, they read and listened to testimony, rule on objections, and when the testimony is over, sentence the charge or charges.
"The training program provides the user with feedback on how they ruled, and comments on issues that may arise with sentencing," Biderman said. "Judges who have served in trials have told us that our training Web site represents common situations in courtrooms."
The center's Web site also offers a comprehensive classroom, where question and answer type exercises covering numerous legal topics are available.
An instructor-facilitated online dispute resolution course is also offered through the Web site, including a variety of judicial resources such as an ethics homepage, an evidence homepage, criminal case summaries, and a judge's how-to guide.
The Judicial Education Center was implemented in 1991 at the UNM Institute of Public Law with a grant issued by the State Justice Institute. Run mostly by state funding and special grants, the center's purpose is to provide services and continuing education to New Mexico judges and New Mexico courts staff, at all levels.
In addition to its award winning Web site, the Judicial Education Center conducts conferences and seminars, provides hands on training for new judges before they take the bench, and provides publications designed to give judges guidance through various subjects.
A second virtual trial is in the programming stages for the center's Web site, this one dealing with domestic violence, which will be available at the beginning of 2003.
Biderman said he hopes to implement a natural resource library into the Web site, where judicial educators throughout the country would be able to access information online.
"Our site could gain interest from court professionals around the world because it is accessible," Biderman said.
He acknowledged the center's success to Pam Casteldi, the web designer, and retired District Court Judge Rozier E. Sanchez, an active participant establisher of the Judicial Education Center among several others.
