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News & Events

  • Save the Date: Justice Potter Stewart Award Dinner

    Save the Date: Justice Potter Stewart Award Dinner

    The 2015 Justice Potter Stewart Award Dinner will be on Thursday, May 7, 2015 at The Organization of American States. Join us as we honor this year's champions of justice. There's still time to nominate your hero. Submit your nominations by 12 noon on February 11, 2015.

  • Scholars and Scoundrels Event A Success

    Scholars and Scoundrels Event A Success

    Over 120 people attended last week’s panel presentation: “Scholars and Scoundrels: Media Access to Evidence in the Digital Age.” Using a hypothetical case - a metro shooting following the Washington football team’s NFC championship game - a panel comprised of members of the bench, bar and media explored what could or should happen with videos of the incident from cell phones, police cameras and social media.

  • Join us for a panel discussion as experts discuss the public's right to evidence in the digital age

    Join us for a panel discussion as experts discuss the public's right to evidence in the digital age

    On Thursday January 29, 2015, The Council for Court Excellence will host a panel discussion on the public's access to evidence in the digital age at National Public Radio.

  • Jury Duty Policies Survey

    Jury Duty Policies Survey

    CCE's Jury Project is surveying employers to learn more about their policies regarding employees who have been summoned for jury service. This survey is intended for human resources representatives or others who administer those policies.

  • CCE's School Jury Education Program is in Full Swing

    CCE's School Jury Education Program is in Full Swing

    The Council for Court Excellence has been fully immersed this winter in its School Jury Education Program where judges, lawyers, and court administrators take part in educating local high school students about the importance of jury service and their role as prospective jurors.

  • A Conversation with Chief Judge Merrick B. Garland and Chief Judge Richard W. Roberts

    A Conversation with Chief Judge Merrick B. Garland and Chief Judge Richard W. Roberts

    At CCE's December Board Meeting last week, attendees were treated to a conversation with Chief Judge Merrick B. Garland of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and Chief Judge Richard W. Roberts of the US District Court for the District of Columbia, moderated by Brigida Benitez, President of the DC Bar.

  • Share Your Thoughts with the Mayoral Transition Team

    Share Your Thoughts with the Mayoral Transition Team

    For the third consecutive election cycle, the Council for Court Excellence (CCE) will be a part of the District of Columbia's mayoral transition team. "We are glad that Mayor-Elect Bowser and her team reached out to us," said Kress, who will be serving on the public safety transition committee's subcommittee on corrections. "CCE and its staff have been working on issues related to public safety and corrections, and especially jail and prison reentry, for many years. We are excited to both offer our own expertise, as well as reach out to community members and organizations to get their ideas on changes and improvements that the mayor-elect can make in 2015 and beyond." The transition team has organized a public meeting for the public safety committee to gather input from interested individuals and entities. The hearing will be December 2, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. at One Judiciary Square (old council chambers), and in addition to corrections will include testimony on police, fire, disaster preparedness, youth violence prevention, and domestic violence. CCE encourages people to present oral testimony on the 2nd or submit written testimony by December 15th toHelder Gil, the public safety transition team coordinator, at Helder.Gil@wearewashingtondc.org.

  • It's A New Day In DC

    It's A New Day In DC

    Last week, DC saw the election of a new mayor, three new council members, and for the first time, an attorney general. These transitions in elected leadership will mean both change and opportunity in all areas, not the least of which is continuing to improve justice for DC residents. For over three decades, the Council for Court Excellence has worked successfully with the DC mayor and council to address critical issues in both civil and criminal justice. We do this through our extensive network of board and committee members, who are able to convene stakeholders and develop policy recommendations that then are translated into law. Here are just a few examples of legislation that CCE was involved in that were passed under different mayoral administrations. Of course, these don’t reflect the many studies and reports we’ve done that have changed non-legislative policies and practices.

  • Diane Rehm Show Features CCE Jury Project Members

    Diane Rehm Show Features CCE Jury Project Members

    The Diane Rehm Show recently featured an hour long segment on jury service, once again demonstrating the timely and important nature of CCE’s jury work. Indeed, three of the four guests on the show are members of CCE’s Jury Project Committee...

  • Welcome Amanda

    Welcome Amanda

    Please join us in welcoming CCE’s newest staff member, Amanda Townsend. Amanda is CCE’s Development Director and will be responsible for all fundraising efforts for the organization.

  • CCE Leads Presentation on Notario Fraud

    CCE Leads Presentation on Notario Fraud

    This is an article about CCE's presentation on Notario Fraud to Maryland Circuit Court Judges

  • Interview with James Berry

    Interview with James Berry

    Recently, CCE Board Director Ron Jessamy sat down with CSOSA Deputy Director & CCE Executive Member James Berry to discuss Mr. Berry's recent appointment and his history with CCE.

  • Update: Hiring DC Residents with a Criminal Record Makes Sense

    Update: Hiring DC Residents with a Criminal Record Makes Sense

    Over 120 people attended the “Hiring People with a Criminal Record” forum on Wednesday, September 17. Moderated by PNC Bank regional President Michael Harreld,Rthe event included remarks by D.C. Chamber of Commerce CEO Harry Wingo and presentations by a number of businesses and experts in the areas of reentry and employment.

  • Welcome Zach Zarnow

    Welcome Zach Zarnow

    Please join us in welcoming CCE’s newest staff member, Zach Zarnow. Zach is CCE’s Jury Analyst and will be responsible for leading the jury project as CCE undertakes a comprehensive review of jury service in the District of Columbia.

  • Goodbye to Pete Willner

    Goodbye to Pete Willner

    July 3, 2014 marked Pete Willner’s last day at CCE, after nearly 17 years. “CCE has been where I’ve spent most of my professional life and it’s been the perfect job for me,” Pete said. “Every day is different and every project has been challenging and rewarding. The projects attract and engage a wide variety of talented and committed people.”

  • School Jury Education Program Celebration

    School Jury Education Program Celebration

    On Monday, June 30th CCE Vice President Pat McGlone and Kevin Taylor hosted a celebration in honor of CCE's School Jury Education Program. For 20 years, CCE has visited DC high school classrooms to train tomorrow’s jurors about our jury system. The Council brings our video of a mock trial and asks the students to become the jury and try to reach a unanimous verdict in the case. CCE brings a judge with us to each class, to preside over the lesson, guide the students through the jury deliberation, and answer their questions about jury service – or anything else. The video lesson works equally well with adult groups in the community, and CCE has also used it successfully with students as young as middle school.

  • CCE Commemorates 60/50 and Discusses Educational Opportunity in DC

    CCE Commemorates 60/50 and Discusses Educational Opportunity in DC

    CCE Board of Directors and special guests gathered on June 5, 2014, to listen to a panel of experts share historical perspectives on the 60th and 50th anniversaries of Brown v. Board of Education and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. They also heard panelists discuss what educational opportunity looks like today in the nation’s capital. DC Superior Court Magistrate Judge Diane Brenneman, Chair of the CCE School Discipline Project, introduced the program by drawing a connection to CCE’s current School Discipline Project which is assessing school discipline policies and practices in traditional and charter schools in the District from a justice systems perspective.

  • Celebrating the Life of Julian R. Dugas, a DC Trailblazer for Justice

    Celebrating the Life of Julian R. Dugas, a DC Trailblazer for Justice

    CCE mourns the loss of longtime CCE Board Director Julian Riley Dugas who recently passed away of congestive heart failure on April 12, 2014. Mr. Dugas was someone whose name carried great weight in the District of Columbia because of the myriad of extraordinary contributions that he made to the city with more than 60 years as a lawyer, humanitarian, teacher and civil servant.

  • CCE Briefs Latin American Delegation

    CCE Briefs Latin American Delegation

    Recently CCE participated in a roundtable discussion for a State Department-sponsored visiting delegation from Latin America touring the US to learn about the administration of justice. Executive Director, June Kress talked about the work of the Council for Court Excellence over the last 32 years, about our unique court and justice system structure in DC, and about how civil society can and should be engaged in improving the administration of justice.

  • CCE Awarded $56,000!

    CCE Awarded $56,000!

    CCE received the exciting news last Wednesday that CCE’s Jury Project, Changing Perceptions: Jury Service in the 21st Century, has been awarded a $56,000 grant from the City Fund, administered through the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region. Last November, over 300 applications were submitted to the City Fund with requests totaling more than $30 million. CCE joins 57 other organizations for the first round of grantmaking from the City Fund.

 
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