CJ 814 Seminar in Management Topics: Historical Foundations/Contemporary Frameworks of Judicial Administration

Course Description: The purpose of this course is to provide students with knowledge about the historical foundations of the judicial branch and the formation of judicial administration, thus providing the context for the role and responsibilities of the courts in contemporary American society.  Students will be exposed to five distinct course segments taught by six different instructors.  The historical foundations will address the question of why courts exist, how they continue to evolve, and how courts are guided from legal mandates to public perceptions.  Tracing the historical foundations will expose students to the development of a new profession—court management.  The role of the court manager will be analyzed in the context of judicial branch mores, ethical codes, and culture.  The business of the courts—caseflow management—and essential court operations, which support the resolution of disputes, will be fully explored in light of traditional and current challenges to case processing like pro se litigants, therapeutic courts, and performance measurements.  The course will close with a debate about whether a traditional organization like the courts can use visioning and strategic planning as a tool for meeting the challenges of rapid global change that will not leave the courts untouched.  Students will be engaged in the subject matter through readings, group discussions, writing assignments, and analysis of case data.

This is an online course, which will offer students the opportunity to access the course materials at times that are best for them but still within the prescribed time periods. Interactions with other students and with the instructor will be online.

Instructor:  Dr. Maureen Conner, Associate Professor and Judicial Administration Program Director, will be coordinating this team taught course.

Student Eligibility:  CJ 812 is a required course for both the Judicial Administration credit-bearing certificate and master’s degree specialization.  Thus, both the certificate and graduate program students are eligible to enroll in this class.

Course Dates:  Classes begin August 25 and end December 5, 2008.

Tuition:  $1560.00

Registration Information:  Dr. Sharon George georges@msu.edu will enroll students in the course.  Registration has already begun.  Students can enroll up to the date the class begins; however, early enrollment is encouraged.  Students that are interested in enrolling, but cannot do so until late in the summer, should contact Dr. George expressing their intentions.