Bolch Judicial Institute

Courts are places of law. They are also places where people often arrive carrying fear, grief, trauma, and uncertainty.

In the latest issue of Judicature, Emily Bass and Amelia Ashton Thorn examine how U.S. District Judge Esther Salas incorporates trauma-informed practices in federal court. Their article follows one day in Judge Salas’s courtroom and explores how dignity, listening, clarity, and human connection can shape the courtroom experience.

Judge Salas’s work is deeply informed by personal tragedy, resilience, and her commitment to honoring her son, Daniel Anderl. Her example offers a powerful reminder that justice is not only about outcomes. It is also about how people are treated along the way.

Read more: https://loom.ly/pu3-Bo0

To Know Courts Is to Love Them?

Public trust in courts does not come automatically. It grows from understanding — from seeing how courts work, what judges do, and why an independent judiciary matters in everyday life.

In the latest issue of Judicature, researchers from The Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania look at two powerful ways people come to understand courts more deeply: jury service and civic education. Their research shows that when people experience courts firsthand, or learn more about the role courts play in our democracy, they often come away with greater confidence in the judiciary.

At a time when public trust in institutions is under strain, this article reminds us that civic education is not abstract. It is one way we help people understand the rule of law — and why courts matter.

Read more: https://loom.ly/9M3nuxk

The latest issue of Judicature is here — and our Decade at Duke celebration continues.

The cover article, “To Know Courts Is to Love Them?,” considers how public understanding of the judiciary shapes trust in courts — and why civic education remains essential to sustaining confidence in the rule of law.

Inside Vol. 109 No. 3, readers will find timely articles on Mexico’s judicial elections, the mixed question of law and fact, collegiality in the courts, AI bias in legal practice, and more.

Print copies are in the mail, and as always, the complete digital edition is available to read online: 🔗 https://loom.ly/SnSmids

If you’re not already on our email list, sign up to receive updates about special features, events, and future issues: 🔗 https://loom.ly/cKYn5FA

Summertime is in full bloom at Duke Law School. 🌼

Yesterday, our communications manager, Eric Surber, took a walk through campus to capture a few photos and share a little of what this season feels like here.

From shaded paths to native plants busy with bees, June is a beautiful time to wander around Duke University — and we’re glad to bring a bit of that summer campus feeling to your feed.

Immigration courts hold a distinctive place in the U.S. legal system, operating within the Department of Justice.

In a new Judicature International interview, former U.S. immigration judge George Pappas reflects on what that structure means in practice — and how recent policy changes are affecting the day-to-day operation of immigration courts.

In conversation with New Zealand Court of Appeal Justice David Collins, chair of Judicature International’s editorial board, Pappas discusses his experience as a judge, the immigration court system, and the broader questions its structure raises for judicial independence.

Read the full interview in Judicature International: https://loom.ly/k1kd7nY

Courts across the country are grappling with the simple reality that trauma shapes how people experience the justice system. To help address that challenge, the Bolch Judicial Institute has launched a full suite of free educational materials on trauma-informed courts.

Led by Amelia Ashton Thorn, assistant director of the Bolch Judicial Institute and a Duke Law School alumna, this project turns research into practical tools for judges and others who work in the courts. The materials include videos showing effective courtroom techniques, guides judges can use in their own courtrooms, ideas for improving courtroom spaces, and illustrated findings from a study of more than 200 court hearings.

“We encourage judges to view themselves as community connectors — leaders with the resources and authority to change lives for the better,” said Thorn. “This collection is meant to help support that work in practical ways. Judging can be demanding, and we hope these materials both ease that burden and inspire judges to experiment with new, evidence-based approaches to improving the courtroom experience.”

Read more: https://loom.ly/dVuolC8
Explore the resources: https://duke.is/court-resources

In 1944, more than a million people gathered in New York City’s Central Park for “I Am an American Day,” where Judge Learned Hand delivered what became known as his “Spirit of Liberty” speech.

Writing in Judicature, Chief Judge D. Brooks Smith revisits Hand’s enduring message: that liberty depends not only on laws and institutions, but also on humility, mutual understanding, and a willingness to weigh the interests of others alongside our own.

“Hand, were he with us now, would be witnessing not simply factionalism but ‘tribalism,’” Smith writes. “And Hand was calling upon his fellow Americans for something more than simple tolerance.”

Read “Learned Hand’s Spirit of Liberty: A Lesson for Our Times” in Judicature (from 2021):
https://loom.ly/-Cf6eVs

In recognition of Law Day, the Bolch Judicial Institute is sharing a collection of short video reflections from the 2026 Bolch Prize honoring David F. Levi.

The clips feature judges, legal leaders, and civic voices reflecting on the rule of law, judicial independence, public trust, civility, and the role of courts in American democracy.

As this year’s American Bar Association Law Day theme invites reflection on “The Rule of Law and the American Dream,” these excerpts offer timely perspectives on why courts, civic trust, and principled leadership matter.

Watch the video shorts:
https://loom.ly/pJwNAq8