Events

Upcoming Events

If you require an accommodation for effective communication (ASL interpreting/CART captioning, alternative media formats, etc.) to fully participate in this event, please contact Justin Tri Do at jtrido@law.berkeley.edu with as much advance notice as possible and at least 7 business days in advance of the event.

Judges Talking

Friday
Jul 11, 2025
12:00 pm (PT)

registration open button

EXCLUSIVELY FOR JUDGES

Location: Zoom
With Denise Neary & Michele Statz

Imagine what good things could happen if more judges just talked to each other? 
 
Please join Berkeley Judicial Institute, Denise Neary, and Michele Statz for an informal, freewheeling discussion for judges about all things judging.

Stress and Duress: Past and Present Challenges to the Judicial Branch

Wednesday
Jul 16, 2025
3:00 pm (PT)

registration open button

Location: Virtual: Zoom / In-Person: Western District of WA Courthouse 
Speaker(s): Hon. J. Michelle Childs, U.S. District Court, D.D.C; Michael Gerhardt, University of North Carolina School of Law; Marin Levy, Duke Law; Hon. Jeremy Fogel (ret.), BJI

1.25 General CA & WA CLE Credit Available ($40)
Registration (free)

Presidential speeches, threats of (and actual) impeachment, court packing plans, and other efforts to diminish the role of judges all have been part of judicial history. Recently, swatting, pizza deliveries, and unrestrained social media rhetoric have been added to the list. Join our distinguished panel as we look at historical and current challenges to the judiciary and their very real impact on judges and the rule of law.  Is what we are experiencing now qualitatively or quantitatively different from what occurred in the past? And how has the quest for justice been affected? 

Virtually As Good? Psychological and Practical Issues in Online Communication and Mediation

Friday
Jul 18, 2025
12:00 pm (PT)

registration open button

Location: Zoom
Speaker(s): L. Craig Nierman, Phelan Tucker Law; Hon. Anuradha Vaitheswaran (ret.), Iowa Court of Appeals

1.25 General CLE Credit Available

How do our brains work differently in the online environment?  What implications does that have for trust formation in a settlement context? Which parties gain an upper hand by bargaining remotely?

Please join the Berkeley Judicial Institute as Moderator Judge Anuradha Vaitheswaran (ret.) talks to mediator and adjunct law professor L. Craig Nierman about what the empirical evidence shows and how we can apply practical solutions.

Law & Literature 2025-26

Friday
Jul 25, 2025
12:00 pm (PT)

registration open button

Session 1: Cynthia Ozick | Puttermesser: Her Work History, Her Ancestry, Her Afterlife (from The Puttermesser Papers)
Location: Zoom
Speaker(s): Dr. Julie Empric, Eckerd College

Using great works as text, these programs provide participants the opportunity to reflect on how literature provides insight into contemporary issues. All are welcome to register to participate; we ask those participating to be prepared to discuss the readings during out time together.

UNFORGIVING PLACES

Monday
Jul 28, 2025
12:00 pm (PT)

registration open button

Location: Zoom
Speaker(s): Hon. Brett Alldredge (ret.), Superior Court of Tulare County; Dr. Jens Ludwig, Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago

1.25 General CLE Credit Available

Please join Berkeley Judicial Institute as Judge Brett Alldredge (ret.) is in conversation with Dr. Jens Ludwig about Dr. Ludwig’s book UNFORGIVING PLACES.

Debt’s Grip

Friday
Aug 15, 2025
12:00 pm (PT)

registration open button

Location: Zoom
Speaker(s): Hon. Erithe Smith, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, C.D. Cal.; Pamela Foohey, University of Georgia School of Law; Robert Lawless, University of Illinois College of Law; and Deborah Thorne, Department of Culture, Society & Justice, University of Idaho

1.25 General CLE Credit Available

Please join Berkeley Judicial Institute as Judge Erithe Smith speaks to the authors of Debt’s Grip, Pamela Foohey, Robert Lawless, and Deborah Thorne about their book and insights into consumer bankruptcy.

Advancing Innovation: A National Summit and Webinar Series on Judicial Leadership

Wednesday
Aug 27, 2025
11:00 am (PT)

registration open button

EXCLUSIVELY FOR JUDGES

Session 2: Finding Your Center: Mindfulness for Innovative Leaders
Location: Zoom
Speaker(s): Hon. Jeremy Fogel (ret.), Executive Director, Berkeley Judicial Institute; Dr. Dacher Keltner, UC Berkeley, Greater Good Science Center

Change is demanding, and judicial leaders need tools to navigate these demands while prioritizing their well-being. This session will provide practical mindfulness techniques and strategies specifically tailored for judicial leaders. Learn to balance the demands of innovation with essential self-care practices, recognize the signs of burnout, and cultivate sustained motivation to drive long-term progress.

Judges Talking

Friday
Sept 12, 2025
12:00 pm (PT)

registration open button

EXCLUSIVELY FOR JUDGES

Location: Zoom
With Denise Neary & Michele Statz

Imagine what good things could happen if more judges just talked to each other? 
 
Please join Berkeley Judicial Institute, Denise Neary, and Michele Statz for an informal, freewheeling discussion for judges about all things judging.

Cultivating Healing and Health in the Judiciary (Second Iteration, Fall 2025)

Friday
Sept 19, 2025
12:00 pm (PT)

registration open button

EXCLUSIVELY FOR JUDGES

Session 1: Heart — How am I?
Location: Zoom
With Prof. Michele Statz, University of Minnesota Medical School, University of Minnesota Law School

This five-part virtual series recognizes this impossible context and the unique vulnerabilities that many judges carry, however privately. Premised on a model of mutual accompaniment, it honors judges’ wounds and weariness not as a liability but as a shared reference point from which to come together as judges, to learn, and to heal [SESSION 1, September 19]. It exposes judges to practices and paradigms [SESSIONS 2, 3, 4; October 3, 17, and 31] that represent different ways of being a judge (versus judging). And throughout, it seeks to build a community that finds new experiences of justice in the midst of relationship [SESSION 5, November 14].

Law & Literature 2025-26

Friday
Sept 26, 2025
12:00 pm (PT)

registration open button

Session 2: Kamila Shamsie | Home Fire
Location: Zoom
Speaker(s): Dr. Julie Empric, Eckerd College

Using great works as text, these programs provide participants the opportunity to reflect on how literature provides insight into contemporary issues. All are welcome to register to participate; we ask those participating to be prepared to discuss the readings during out time together.

Cultivating Healing and Health in the Judiciary (Second Iteration, Fall 2025)

Friday
Oct 3, 2025
12:00 pm (PT)

registration open button

EXCLUSIVELY FOR JUDGES

Session 2: Mind — Who am I?
Location: Zoom
With Prof. Michele Statz, University of Minnesota Medical School, University of Minnesota Law School

This five-part virtual series recognizes this impossible context and the unique vulnerabilities that many judges carry, however privately. Premised on a model of mutual accompaniment, it honors judges’ wounds and weariness not as a liability but as a shared reference point from which to come together as judges, to learn, and to heal [SESSION 1, September 19]. It exposes judges to practices and paradigms [SESSIONS 2, 3, 4; October 3, 17, and 31] that represent different ways of being a judge (versus judging). And throughout, it seeks to build a community that finds new experiences of justice in the midst of relationship [SESSION 5, November 14].

Judges and the Press: what courts could be doing now to promote public understanding

Friday
Oct 10, 2025
12:00 pm (PT)

registration open button

Location: Zoom
Speaker(s): Hon. Maryam Ahmad, Circuit Court of Cook County; Hon. Jeremy Fogel (ret.), BJI; Aaron Katersky, ABC News; Hon. Kimberly Muller, U.S. District Court, E.D. Cal.; Hon. Trina Thompson, U.S. District Court, N.D. Cal.

The work of courts is a vital part of our democracy; courts are interested in being better known and better understood. Yet court websites are often inscrutable, and understanding what happens in court can be daunting.

What are some small and big things courts can be doing right now to make their work more accessible to the public and to the press?

Cultivating Healing and Health in the Judiciary (Second Iteration, Fall 2025)

Friday
Oct 17, 2025
12:00 pm (PT)

registration open button

EXCLUSIVELY FOR JUDGES

Session 3: Body — Where am I?
Location: Zoom
With Prof. Michele Statz, University of Minnesota Medical School, University of Minnesota Law School

This five-part virtual series recognizes this impossible context and the unique vulnerabilities that many judges carry, however privately. Premised on a model of mutual accompaniment, it honors judges’ wounds and weariness not as a liability but as a shared reference point from which to come together as judges, to learn, and to heal [SESSION 1, September 19]. It exposes judges to practices and paradigms [SESSIONS 2, 3, 4; October 3, 17, and 31] that represent different ways of being a judge (versus judging). And throughout, it seeks to build a community that finds new experiences of justice in the midst of relationship [SESSION 5, November 14].

Cultivating Healing and Health in the Judiciary (Second Iteration, Fall 2025)

Friday
Oct 31, 2025
12:00 pm (PT)

registration open button

EXCLUSIVELY FOR JUDGES

Session 4: Spirit — What am I?
Location: Zoom
With Prof. Michele Statz, University of Minnesota Medical School, University of Minnesota Law School

This five-part virtual series recognizes this impossible context and the unique vulnerabilities that many judges carry, however privately. Premised on a model of mutual accompaniment, it honors judges’ wounds and weariness not as a liability but as a shared reference point from which to come together as judges, to learn, and to heal [SESSION 1, September 19]. It exposes judges to practices and paradigms [SESSIONS 2, 3, 4; October 3, 17, and 31] that represent different ways of being a judge (versus judging). And throughout, it seeks to build a community that finds new experiences of justice in the midst of relationship [SESSION 5, November 14].

Judges Talking

Friday
Nov 7, 2025
12:00 pm (PT)

registration open button

EXCLUSIVELY FOR JUDGES

Location: Zoom
With Denise Neary & Michele Statz

Imagine what good things could happen if more judges just talked to each other? 
 
Please join Berkeley Judicial Institute, Denise Neary, and Michele Statz for an informal, freewheeling discussion for judges about all things judging.

Advancing Innovation: A National Summit and Webinar Series on Judicial Leadership

Wednesday
Nov 12, 2025
11:00 am (PT)

registration open button

EXCLUSIVELY FOR JUDGES

Session 3: Overcoming Resistance and Building Buy-In
Location: Zoom
Speaker(s): Hon. Jennifer D. Bailey (ret.), Bailey Judicial Solutions; Hon. Diana Hagen, Utah Supreme Court; Brittany Kauffman, CEO, IAALS

Innovation often meets resistance. Learn how to navigate it effectively and build powerful support for change. This session will delve into the root causes of resistance and equip you with practical tools to proactively address it. Discover strategies for engaging stakeholders, communicating your vision, and fostering a collaborative culture that champions successful innovation initiatives.

Cultivating Healing and Health in the Judiciary (Second Iteration, Fall 2025)

Friday
Nov 14, 2025
12:00 pm (PT)

registration open button

EXCLUSIVELY FOR JUDGES

Session 5: Relationship — Whose am I?
Location: Zoom
With Prof. Michele Statz, University of Minnesota Medical School, University of Minnesota Law School

This five-part virtual series recognizes this impossible context and the unique vulnerabilities that many judges carry, however privately. Premised on a model of mutual accompaniment, it honors judges’ wounds and weariness not as a liability but as a shared reference point from which to come together as judges, to learn, and to heal [SESSION 1, September 19]. It exposes judges to practices and paradigms [SESSIONS 2, 3, 4; October 3, 17, and 31] that represent different ways of being a judge (versus judging). And throughout, it seeks to build a community that finds new experiences of justice in the midst of relationship [SESSION 5, November 14].

Law & Literature 2025-26

Friday
Nov 21, 2025
12:00 pm (PT)

registration open button

Session 3: Collection of short stories
(1) Mark Twain | The Judge’s Spirited Woman
(2) Ann Petry | Like a Winding Sheet
(3) William Faulkner | Tomorrow (from the collection Knight’s Gambit)
Location: Zoom
Speaker(s): Dr. Julie Empric, Eckerd College

Using great works as text, these programs provide participants the opportunity to reflect on how literature provides insight into contemporary issues. All are welcome to register to participate; we ask those participating to be prepared to discuss the readings during out time together.

Law & Literature 2025-26

Friday
Jan 23, 2026
12:00 pm (PT)

registration open button

Session 4: Joseph Conrad | The Secret Sharer
Location: Zoom
Speaker(s): Dr. Julie Empric, Eckerd College

Using great works as text, these programs provide participants the opportunity to reflect on how literature provides insight into contemporary issues. All are welcome to register to participate; we ask those participating to be prepared to discuss the readings during out time together.

Advancing Innovation: A National Summit and Webinar Series on Judicial Leadership

Wednesday
Feb 11, 2026
11:00 am (PT)

registration open button

EXCLUSIVELY FOR JUDGES

Session 4: Staying the Course: Strategies for Sustaining Change
Location: Zoom
Speaker(s): Dr. Lana Cook, MIT Systems Awareness Lab

Innovation is a long game. How do you ensure lasting impact and maintain momentum in the face of challenges? This session will provide concrete strategies for overcoming obstacles and opposition, maintaining commitment, and celebrating milestones to ensure the long-term success of your innovation efforts.

Law & Literature 2025-26

Friday
Mar 20, 2026
12:00 pm (PT)

registration open button

Session 5: William Shakespeare | Measure for Measure
Location: Zoom
Speaker(s): Dr. Julie Empric, Eckerd College

Using great works as text, these programs provide participants the opportunity to reflect on how literature provides insight into contemporary issues. All are welcome to register to participate; we ask those participating to be prepared to discuss the readings during out time together.

Advancing Innovation: A National Summit and Webinar Series on Judicial Leadership

Wednesday
May 13, 2026
11:00 am (PT)

registration open button

EXCLUSIVELY FOR JUDGES

Session 5: Collaborative Leadership: Building Coalitions for Innovation
Location: Zoom
Speaker(s): Hon. Susan Blanco, 8th Judicial District of Colorado; Hon. Maritza Dominguez Braswell, U.S. District Court, D. Colo.; Hon. Samuel Thumma, Arizona Court of Appeals; Hon. Bernice Donald (ret.), United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

Coalitions are essential to real change. Discover how to build powerful partnerships to drive judicial innovation. This session will feature experienced judicial leaders who have successfully collaborated with other branches of government, community organizations, and non-profit groups. Gain invaluable insights into best practices for building strong relationships, navigating complexities, and achieving shared goals for a more innovative justice system.

Law & Literature 2025-26

Friday
May 29, 2026
12:00 pm (PT)

registration open button

Session 6: Aeschylus | The Oresteia Trilogy: Agamemnon, the Libation-Bearers and the Furies
Location: Zoom
Speaker(s): Dr. Julie Empric, Eckerd College

Using great works as text, these programs provide participants the opportunity to reflect on how literature provides insight into contemporary issues. All are welcome to register to participate; we ask those participating to be prepared to discuss the readings during out time together.

Advancing Innovation: A National Summit and Webinar Series on Judicial Leadership

Wednesday
Aug 12, 2026
11:00 am (PT)

registration open button

EXCLUSIVELY FOR JUDGES

Session 6: Measuring What Matters: Evaluating the Impact of Innovations
Location: Zoom
Speaker(s): Hon. Kevin Burke, Minnesota District Courts; Margaret Hagan, Stanford Law School; Victor Quintanilla, Maurer School of Law, Indiana University Bloomington; Beth Wiggins, Federal Judicial Center

How do you know if your innovations are truly making a difference? This session will equip you with practical strategies for taking a data-driven approach to evaluating the impact of your initiatives. Learn how to identify key performance indicators, effectively collect and analyze relevant data, and use those insights to inform future decisions and demonstrate the value of your innovative work.

If you require an accommodation for effective communication (ASL interpreting/CART captioning, alternative media formats, etc.) to fully participate in this event, please contact Justin Tri Do at jtrido@law.berkeley.edu with as much advance notice as possible and at least 7 business days in advance of the event.

 

Event Archive

Enrollment and CLE are complimentary within our B-CLE platform. A B-CLE account is required to enroll for courses. Subscribe at no charge.

B-CLE is only certified to give credit for California. If you are seeking credit for another jurisdiction, please check with your state bar to determine if California CLE credits are recognized, through reciprocity, in your jurisdiction.