Judicial Temperament

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Welcome to BJI’s series exploring judicial temperament. These are among BJI’s most requested programs. Hon. Jeremy Fogel (ret.) and Prof. Terry Maroney are lead faculty on each of these five programs. We encourage the use of these videos as prompts for judicial education programs. 

Judicial Temperament – Part 1

Wednesday
July 15, 2020
12:00 pm (PT)

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Location: Zoom
Speaker(s): Hon. Jeremy Fogel (ret.), BJI; Terry Maroney, Vanderbilt University Law School

Sober as a judge” is a trope for good reason, but there has been little serious study about the elements of judicial temperament. Most people who have spent time in court can think of both positive and negative examples of judicial behavior, but developing a psychological framework for understanding that behavior is surprisingly difficult. As virtual proceedings provide more transparency, judges are on public view to a greater extent than ever before.

Judicial Temperament – Part 2: The Elements of Judicial Temperament

Wednesday
September 9, 2020
12:00 pm (PT)

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Location: Zoom
Speaker(s): Hon. Jeremy Fogel (ret.), BJI; Terry Maroney, Vanderbilt University Law School

BJI’s July 15 presentation on judicial temperament introduced Professor Terry Maroney’s groundbreaking analysis of the elements of judicial temperament, the constellation of psychological traits that predict how judges will respond to the challenges of their work. Professor Maroney explained that while a person’s temperament is largely stable by adulthood, every judge has an “envelope of possibility” in which they can adapt their temperament to the professional requirements and public expectations of judges.

At the conclusion of the presentation, many judges in the audience suggested a follow up program to examine the ways in which judges may understand their own temperamental traits and use that understanding to improve their judicial performance. This is that follow-up program. Once again, Judge Jeremy Fogel, BJI’s Executive Director, and Professor Terry Maroney will discuss Professor Maroney’s cutting edge research.

Emotional Regulation and Judicial Behavior

Wednesday
December 2, 2020
12:00 pm (PT)

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Location: Zoom
Speaker(s): Hon. Jeremy Fogel (ret.), BJI; Terry Maroney, Vanderbilt University Law School

How do parties, lawyers and the public hope that judges will behave in court? How can judges sharpen their understanding of their emotional responses to their often difficult jobs and regulate those responses in a way that supports an appropriate judicial demeanor? Join Judge Jeremy Fogel, BJI’s Executive Director, and Professor Terry Maroney as they discuss Professor Maroney’s work and consider how her study and observation can help judges in the courtroom.

Judicial Temperament: Q&A

Thursday
January 21, 2021
12:00 pm (PT)

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Location: Zoom
Speaker(s): Hon. Jeremy Fogel (ret.), BJI; Terry Maroney, Vanderbilt University Law School

Some common audience questions during the programs were:

  • How do I recognize my temperamental traits as a judge?
  • What is my temperamental “envelope of possibility” for change, and how can I make the most of it?
  • How can I use this knowledge to change the temperature of an interaction in court?
  • What techniques for regulating emotion do judicial colleagues find particularly effective?

Join Judge Jeremy Fogel, BJI’s Executive Director, and Professor Terry Maroney as they devote an entire program to YOUR questions about judicial temperament.

Judicial Stress and Resiliency: 2021 Pandemic Holiday Edition

Wednesday
December 15, 2021
12:00 pm (PT)

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Location: Zoom
Speaker(s): Hon. Jeremy Fogel (ret.), BJI; Terry Maroney, Vanderbilt University Law School

Is judging during the pandemic different from what you expected when you became a judge? Do you seek stronger connections with your work and with your colleagues?  Have the recent setbacks in many reopening plans been a new source of disappointment and stress? It’s worth reflecting on these issues as we approach a new year, particularly since the winter holidays typically are a challenging time for many of us.

Join Judge Jeremy Fogel, BJI’s Executive Director, and Professor Terry Maroney as they devote a full program to answering questions submitted by you and that they’ve encountered in their many recent conversations with judges about the impact of the pandemic on judicial stress and resilience.