Family court judges deserve great respect. They make significant decisions affecting our nation's families, yet these judges are often undervalued, even by their peers on the bench. And there is insufficient acknowledgement of the broad expertise required to do the job well. This publication aims to change this by drawing attention to the special knowledge, qualities, and skills that these judges need to be successful—and hopefully reprioritizing and revaluing their role in the legal system.
Family court is not a “pots and pans” rotation, it is a rotation into people's lives, and an opportunity to positively shape outcomes that will affect children and families forever.
It is critically important to have a highly skilled and dedicated judicial officer making decisions that forever impact America's families.
Because of the complex, multidimensional nature of their cases, family court judges must possess additional knowledge, skills, and qualities not required by their colleagues who handle other case types.
Judicial education plays an indispensable role in fostering highly skilled and dedicated family court judges.
The recommendations contained in “The Family Law Bar: Stewards of the System, Leaders of Change” were generated from discussions among those who are steeped in the practice of family law. Their focus is much broader, however, implicating key family justice system stakeholders beyond family law practitioners. Additionally, the recommendations are intended to benefit family court litigants broadly—not simply those who are represented by a family law attorney. This article leverages findings from the recent IAALS Cases Without Counsel study of self‐representation in family court, illustrating areas of overlap between this study's findings and Family Bar Summit suggestions for family justice system reform.
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