Category: Announcements

The FY 2026 Federal Grant Season has numerous open solicitations still available. Make sure to visit SJI’s Funding Toolkit for the latest grant information.  The Toolkit includes current grant solicitations, along with templates that can be used to prepare a grant application. If you identify an opportunity of interest, please click on the direct link to access the solicitation and associated templates you may use to prepare your application. 

Access the weekly guide to Federal Grant Programs in one concise document, organized by topic area, and that highlights key information to help jurisdictions make decisions about whether to pursue these open funding opportunities.

The SJI Funding Toolkit also includes FAQs about the grant making process, along with an answer from a grant expert.  Follow SJI on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest FAQ and funding announcements.  Send your funding and grant questions to fundingtoolkit@sji.gov.  Experts will provide answers, as well as references to additional resources.

The Institute for Intergovernmental Research (IIR), on behalf of the State Justice Institute, is hosting a Peer Exchange in Adams County, Ohio on May 5–6, 2026.

Up to five communities will be selected to receive travel scholarships, allowing each selected site to send a team of 3–4 practitioners to participate in this structured two-day peer exchange at no cost.

Travel scholarships cover:

This is a great opportunity to connect with peers, share promising practices, and explore strategies to strengthen justice system responses in your community.

Apply By March 16th for Priority Consideration · All Submissions Due by March 31st

Apply here: https://survey.alchemer.com/…/Court-Led-Collaborations…

The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, in partnership with the American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law, is hosting the Child Safety: An Immersive Training for Judges, Attorneys, and Child Welfare Leadership on March 26th, 2026, from 11am-5pm EST.

The Child Safety Guide offers a comprehensive approach to child safety decision making. It
addresses the fundamentals of safety assessments and safety planning and lays out a clear
framework to assess safety-related decisions such as removal, reunification, and when to
terminate jurisdiction, provides checklists to assist judges in making reunification decisions and
provides assistance to judges on what to consider prior to terminating jurisdiction.

Register here: Meeting Registration – Zoom

📅 Tuesday, March 10th, 2026, at 3:00PM EST

Seventy-six percent of state courts are limited jurisdiction courts serving local communities, often under-resourced and without the same access to technological solutions as larger courts.

To improve modernization and access to justice in these areas, the National Center for State Courts is launching a new initiative that leverages AI solutions to address long-standing structural challenges that limit efficiency, accessibility, and service quality in rural courts. The effort is supported by Microsoft, whose technology will inform potential solutions.

Register here: Webinar Registration – Zoom

Upcoming Webinar! Empowering Rural Communities: Overcoming Barriers to Treatment. The Center for the Application of Substance Abuse Technologies (CASAT) School of Public Health will be hosting this webinar on February 23rd, 2026, at 6:30PM EST. Rural communities face unique challenges in addressing substance use disorders, from limited access to care and transportation barriers to social labeling and workforce shortages. This webinar will explore innovative, community driven strategies that are helping rural areas expand treatment access and build recovery-ready environments. Attendees will gain insights into successful models such as mobile clinics, telehealth, peer support networks, and faith-based partnerships, along with practical tools and resources to take action locally.

For more information about this event and to register, please visit: Empowering Rural Communities: Overcoming Barriers to Treatment – University of Nevada, Reno.

The National Open Court Data Standards (NODS) now include NIEMOpen technical specifications and mapping.

Join panelists on February 10th, 2026, at 3:00PM EST to learn about the new NODS features, including visual diagrams, technical blueprints, and data format examples.

Following this webinar, attendees will be able to:

1. Describe the new NODS features

2. Explain how NIEMOpen mapping helps courts share data with justice partners

Register here: https://ncsc-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_h78cdbA3R-uqloHiJyZiNg#/registration

#NCSC #DataDives #NODS #StateCourts #JusticeSystem

The National Association for Presiding Judges and Court Executive Officers (NAPCO) is hosting: The Life and Legacy of Ernie Friesen: Court Reformer par Excellence on January 22nd, 2026, at 3:00PM EST. Many court leaders throughout the United States and worldwide were recently saddened to learn Ernie Friesen, one of the most influential icons in court and judicial management, died December 11, 2025, at 97 years of age. His work toward improving trial court governance structures and case processing efficiencies is legendary, living on today as strategic, practical principles in managing courts and evidence-based remedies for reducing needless court delay.

As his obituary touted, “He was an idealist and a reformer, with a gift for getting to the heart of a problem and a passion for finding practical solutions he could teach the world.” In many respects, his work led to the reality that leading and managing modern trial courts is a two-person job: a presiding judge and court executive officer working together in complementary, productive leadership roles. A foundational principle upon which NAPCO is based. Among Friesen’s contributions to the betterment of democratic justice systems was his unwavering, highly-regarded research into the causes and cures of unnecessary court delay. The practical solutions he developed and promoted in caseflow, docketing, and the early resolution of disputes are as relevant today in a world characterized by digitized, AI-enabled scheduling processes as they were decades ago when research and data analyses depended on Hollerith cards as the primary medium for scholarly work.

Join in for a 75-minute discussion by friends, associates and admirers of Ernie Friesen to celebrate his work and ethos as a law professor, law school dean, educator, researcher, consultant, ICM / NJC / NAPCO founder, and pioneer for responsible trial court leadership, governance, and case delay reduction.

Register here: Webinar Registration – Zoom

Join in for an insightful conversation exploring the unique cybersecurity challenges facing judicial institutions and the strategic approaches needed to protect sensitive court data and maintain public trust. While the speaker brings expertise from the judicial sector, the strategies and frameworks discussed are applicable across all industries facing similar security challenges.

This moderated discussion will navigate through essential components of organizational cybersecurity, from developing comprehensive roadmaps to understanding risk profiles and implementing practical mitigation strategies.

🗓 When: January 13th, 2026, at 2:00PM EST.
🔗 Sign up here.

Many self-represented litigants are relying on AI tools, often general-purpose chatbots. Courts and legal aid organizations face critical questions about whether and how to help self-represented litigants use AI tools in ways that are constructive.

When: January 21st, 2026, at 1:00PM EST.

Sign up: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ZUPPIm9pQLiEo5aV-UR30w?#/registration

Join the TRI/NCSC AI Policy Consortium for Law & Courts as it brings together leaders from state courts, legal services, and access to justice initiatives to explore this challenge.

Whether you’re a legal professional, community advocate, or just curious about AI’s role in justice, this webinar is for you!

When? February 18th, 2026, at 12:00PM EST.

The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) is virtually holding an important training focused on the often-overlooked role of nonvisible disabilities in civil legal proceedings involving military-connected survivors. This session will explore how conditions such as PTS/D, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Military Sexual Trauma (MST), and cognitive processing challenges can shape a survivor’s engagement with the civil legal system.

Participants will learn:

• How nonvisible disabilities may affect a survivor’s presentation and perceived credibility

• Ways these conditions influence participation in civil protection, custody, and guardianship proceedings

• How to distinguish trauma-related responses from behaviors that may appear as disengagement or deception

• How these dynamics uniquely emerge in child custody cases and emergency protective order hearings

This training is designed for judges, court personnel, legal professionals, and anyone working with military-connected survivors in civil matters.

Register here: https://ncjfcj-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/FxwObmtDQc2mdJrAQILP-A#/registration

#DomesticViolenceAwareness #SexualAssaultAwareness #TraumaInformed #LegalProfession #CivilJustice #MilitaryFamilies #NonvisibleDisabilities #Training #UpcomingWebinar #SaveTheDate