Position Description
Purpose
This State Judicial Outreach Liaison (SJOL) position is a part of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Judicial Outreach Liaison (JOL) Program providing peer-to-peer education through its Fund for Justice and Education. The purpose of the ABA JOL program is to provide a foundation for outreach efforts to educate and inform local judges on impaired driving and highway safety issues. The program began in 1998 and is comprised of active or retired judges who work to improve the administration of justice in impaired driving and other traffic safety matters through education, communication and collegial and ethical collaboration with judges, and traffic safety stakeholders, locally, regionally, and nationally. The JOL program provides access to current and evidence-based practices that assist trial court judges in their work and helps reduce recidivism and promote more effective outcomes.
Qualifications
- Juris doctorate or an equivalent degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association or the Supreme Court of the State
- A sitting or retired member of the District of Columbia judiciary
- Extensive experience in handling impaired driving or other traffic-related cases
- Knowledge or willingness to learn about Drug Courts and other evidence-based sentencing practices
- A strong desire to increase public safety by educating on research-based practices to reduce recidivism
Duties of a Judicial Outreach Liaison
While remaining independent and impartial, the SJOL serves as a districtwide resource for the judiciary dealing with traffic cases, particularly cases involving impaired driving. The duties of the SJOL include serving as an educator, writer, and liaison regarding impaired driving and other traffic issues in the District of Columbia (DC). The SJOL will network with ABA Judicial Fellows, ABA Regional JOLs (RJOLs), State JOLs, State Judicial Educators, highway safety stakeholders, the Administrative Office of the Courts, State Bar Associations and the ABA Judicial Division throughout the year to accomplish established educational goals.
Specific duties will include:
Planning and Preparation
- Develop a thorough understanding of national and state judicial education programs available on impaired driving and develop strategies to implement peer-to-peer judicial education in DC.
- Work with the ABA Judicial Division and others to review and determine areas of concern that need to be addressed in DC.
- Contact and establish a working relationship with the Regional JOL, State Judicial Educator, judges, and others within DC.
- The DC JOL will work in partnership with the DC Highway Safety Office (HSO), located within the office of the Deputy Mayor for Operations and Infrastructure (DMOI). The JOL will develop an understanding of initiatives and programs of the DC Highway Safety Office relating to the judiciary.
- Develop a proposed work plan based on target activities defined above.
Provide training, education and technical assistance
- Develop a network of contacts with judges and judicial educators to promote judicial education related to sentencing and supervision of DUI offenders, evidentiary issues, case- law updates, alcohol/drug testing, and monitoring technology.
- Solicit opportunities to speak at educational conferences.
- Provide training and education to judges and other court officials regarding impaired driving.
- Attend and present at meetings, conferences, workshops, and other gatherings, focusing on impaired driving.
- Provide technical assistance to judges and courts, upon request, regarding impaired driving.
- Identify barriers that hamper effective training, education or outreach to the courts and recommend alternative means to address these issues and concerns.
Inform ABA and JOL Program Stakeholders
- Identify issues of concern to judges and other court officials regarding impaired driving and bring them to the attention of ABA and other judicial education stakeholders.
- Advise ABA and judicial education stakeholders regarding outreach to judges and the courts, and other issues involving the criminal justice system.
Share information and coordinate with court administration stakeholders
- Consult regularly with the ABA RJOLs and SJOLs regarding outreach efforts and opportunities.
- Share information and coordinate with the JOL program to help identify opportunities for improving the criminal justice system.
- Share information on Drug Courts, evidence-based sentencing, court monitoring and supervision, and other evidence-based and promising court practices.
Liaise Between Courts and JOL Program Stakeholders
- Identify issues of concern to judges and other court officials regarding impaired driving and bring them to the attention of appropriate criminal justice or highway safety officials.
- Identify topics of concern about traffic safety and work with judicial educators to develop a better understanding of the topics by sharing research and data.
- Upon request, review material developed by judicial educators to provide comments and judicial insights.
- If ethically permissible, provide a judicial perspective to legislators and policymakers on impaired driving and other highway safety issues.
- Advise members of the judiciary and judicial education stakeholders on potential sources of funding and resources.
Other responsibilities
- Write and solicit articles for the Highway to Justice newsletter.
- Attend required traffic safety educational conferences in accordance with ABA-approved work plan.
- Submit a monthly report at the end of each month to the ABA Project Manager.
- Submit a final report detailing the year’s efforts and accomplishments, specifically noting processes used, strategies employed, results achieved, problems encountered and recommendations.
Additional Considerations
Expenses for all authorized travel, lodging, food and incidentals will be reimbursed in accordance with federal rates as recognized by the General Services Administration. Requests for reimbursement will be processed through the American Bar Association’s Judicial Division. The State JOL is an independent contractor retained by the American Bar Association. This is a paid, part-time position with a monthly educational stipend of $2,000. It is paid in monthly installments from the month of hire, until the end of each fiscal year of employment.
Deadline for submission of materials: Friday, July 12, 2024