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Competencies

President's Message

April 2023

Dear NACM Family,

I was recently walking through a park here in Austin and passed by a merry-go-round that was covered with small children who looked like they were having the time of their life climbing around on it and pushing it round and round. When they stopped pushing and it slowed down, the children would jump off and dizzily fall down laughing. I kept thinking to myself – what is the joy in going in circle only to be dizzy and fall afterwards? I then begin to think all of the other circles we run in life purposely – ferris wheels; track and field races; cake walks; marathons. Although life is full of activities that may appear boring and without purpose, our own perspective provides us with purpose and meaning during those activities. We all move ahead in life with meaningful and purposeful steps.

What does that have to do with court administration, court management and the judicial branch you may wonder? When you head to court, and go home at night, only to return the next day to see just another docket with a new set of names, does it feel like you’re running in that circle? Does it feel like no matter how fast justice is administered, empty courtrooms are filled with a new subset of individuals? Yes, maybe, and no. Each day courthouses are likely occupied with repeat offenders, but they’re also visited by people who have never been there before, and likely never will again.

Our jobs are so incredibly important, and they impact a huge array of people on a daily basis. That’s why it’s important that we stay committed to constantly working to improve the administration of our courts. That’s why it’s important for us to stay in touch and share tips, tricks and resources as colleagues. That’s why it’s important to continue thinking outside the box on how to constantly improve how we do our jobs and keep the public’s trust and confidence.

We will soon have the opportunity to gather together in Tampa, Florida at NACM’s Annual Conference. Many people have been hard at work to make this conference a success and we have a solid lineup of speakers to motivate you to keep running in circles.

Jeffrey Tsunekawa
NACM President, 2022–2023

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01/01/2024
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01/01/2024
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Ethics

Court leadership requires ethical actions and leaders must be ethical in order preserve the public’s trust and confidence for the judiciary and the value of rule of law. Ethics is the expression of a personal commitment to the principles of citizenship and justice; and demonstrates the court leaders’ pledge; the pledge to court staff, to the judges, to other justice community leaders, and to the public that the courts serve.
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12/30/2023
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12/30/2023
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Leadership

Leadership is an energetic process of creating vision resulting in commitment to a common course and preferred future. Just as there is no one best way to manage courts, there is no best way to be a court leader. Leadership is highly personal – some people are naturally better able than others although everyone can learn good leadership techniques.
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12/29/2023
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12/29/2023
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Court Governance

A court leader needs to be able to manage court operations with consistency and predictability, by providing the guidance and policies for both day-to-day operations and long-term decisions. To do this, the court leader will need to develop and maintain an effective governance structure for the court.
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12/28/2023
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12/28/2023
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Strategic Planning

A court leader often provides leadership for the court. In doing so, the court leader should develop and promote a strategic vision for the organization by establishing a strategic course for an organization, communicating that direction to internal and external stakeholders and engaging them to work collaboratively toward achieving the organization's mission.
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12/27/2023
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12/27/2023
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Accountability and Court Performance

Thinking that the court is performing at its best and knowing it are two different things. Court leaders are accountable to both the judiciary and the public for a well-run court, which means that managers must be able to both effectively measure and manage performance. Skillful collection and analysis of performance information ensures that court managers no longer just think the court is performing well but are able to demonstrate it.
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12/26/2023
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12/26/2023
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Public Relations

The court leader's role is not just limited to working internally within the court; it also includes communicating with a wide variety of audiences about the courts and court processes. To be effective, court leaders need to use a variety of communication methods tailored to the nature of the message being conveyed and audience targeted.
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12/25/2023
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12/25/2023
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Operations Management

Courts are complex organizations, which are comprised of an array of departments, units and functions that need to be maintained on an on-going basis to support court operations. Although court leaders may not need to perform all of the various functions, organizational and management competencies should be developed to support whatever functions may be required.
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12/24/2023
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12/24/2023
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Budget and Fiscal Management

Even the most highly skilled court leader needs access to adequate funding, resources, and facilities for effective and efficient court operations. Not only does the court leader need to be able to develop complex plans to secure the necessary resources, he or she must also be able to effectively manage the court's budgets and resources.
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12/23/2023
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12/23/2023
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Caseflow and Workflow

Court leaders play a critical role in caseflow and workflow management for the court, ensuring that court's work is performed efficiently and to promote the fair and timely resolution of all cases filed. Effective caseflow and workflow management requires that court leaders have a variety of analytic and communication skills.
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12/21/2023
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12/21/2023
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Public Trust and Confidence

Public trust and confidence in the courts is integral to the credibility of the judicial branch. To be effective at managing trust and confidence, court leaders must be able to maintain an organizational culture that fosters integrity, transparency and accountability for all court processes and proceedings.
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