January 14-15 & 21-22, 2025, 12-4PM Eastern Time on all 4 days

This course is titled Purposes & Responsibilities of Courts 1, as it is the first offering of the course this year. There will be a second offering later in 2025.

Click the Registration Information hyperlink below for the registration link and more details.

Course description:
In this course, participants explore the foundations of the third branch of government through an overview of colonial history, the rule of law, and other important historical and current-day events and practices. This course is an opportunity for participants to consider how and why courts often conduct their business differently from each other, despite sharing the same principles. Throughout the course, participants will reflect on whether the performance, structure, operations, and processes of their courts align with the purposes and responsibilities of courts. As a result of participating in this course, participants will be able to:

• Discuss the purposes and responsibilities of courts and how they have changed over time.


• Discuss key legal concepts, such as due process of law, and their relationship to the purposes and responsibiliies of courts.


• Explain the role of the courts as a third branch of government.


• Identify various ways courts are managed and structured as a response to societal expectations and challenges.


• Analyze court governance structures, court organization, and essential functions of courts as they relate to court administration and management.