Category: Announcements

Redesigning Legal Speaker Series

Register now! As part of the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS) Redesigning Legal Speaker Series, on March 21st, 2023, at 1:00PM EST, IAALS and its partners will examine the various legal service providers beyond lawyers who help people with their legal problems and discuss why it will take this entire ecosystem to fully tackle the access to justice crisis. Allied legal professional programs are spreading across the country. Register here.

New Funding Opportunity: Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Site-based Program

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is seeking applications to respond to illicit substance use and misuse to reduce overdose deaths, promote public safety, and support access to treatment and recovery services in the criminal justice system. Awards will be made in two categories for the following amounts:

  • Category 1: Local Applications
    Subcategory 1a—An urban area or large county with a population greater
    than 500,000: up to $1,600,000
    Subcategory 1b—A suburban area or medium-size county with a population between 100,000 and 500,000: up to $1,300,000
    Subcategory 1c—A jurisdiction is considered rural if the applicant is all or part of a county that is either entirely rural or is an urban or suburban county that contains rural census tracts as identified by the Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer. Municipalities other than counties, such as towns or cities, must enter the county the municipality resides within to search the analyzer. If the analyzer identifies the county entered as rural, then the applicant is eligible to apply within this subcategory. All jurisdictions that are not designated as rural via the analyzer but have a population of less than 100,000 should apply in subcategory 1b. All federally recognized Indian tribes must apply under this subcategory.: up to $1,000,000
  • Category 2: State Applications

Applications from State Administering Agencies (SAA) responsible for directing criminal justice planning, the State Alcohol and Substance Use Agency, or other state agencies appropriate for the scope of the project; in addition, they must apply for funding on behalf of at least six localities, tribal entities, or areas within the state and assist with implementing projects at those sites.: up to $7,000,000

Period of performance start date: October 1, 2023
Period of performance duration: 36 months

Grants.gov Deadline: March 21, 2023, 8:59 p.m., ET
Application JustGrants Deadline: March 28, 2023, 8:59 p.m., ET

In FY 2023, applications must be submitted in a two-step process:

Step 1: Applicants will submit an SF-424 and an SF-LLL in Grants.gov at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html. 

Step 2: Applicants will submit the full application, including attachments, in JustGrants at JustGrants.usdoj.gov. To be considered timely, the full application must be submitted to JustGrants by the JustGrants application deadline. Visit https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/o-bja-2023-171527 for solicitation information, eligibility details, and application guidelines.

Eviction Diversion Initiative Grant Application Now Open

NCSC is now accepting applications for the Eviction Diversion Initiative Grant Program through Friday, April 21. Grants will be awarded to 6-9 state and local courts to launch or expand eviction diversion programs and transform the eviction court experience. EDI grant funds can be used to hire dedicated court staff to oversee the eviction diversion and court reform work and to build community partnerships. Participating courts will also join a national network of courts at the forefront of this work and have access to intensive technical assistance and ongoing support from NCSC staff and program partners as they design, implement, and evaluate their programs. 

Two informational webinars about the grant program have been scheduled for Monday, February 13 (Register here) and Wednesday, March 15 (Register here). The webinars will also be recorded and posted to ncsc.org/eviction. Questions about the grant program and application process should be submitted to EDI@ncsc.org. Grant applications are due by Friday, April 21. 

Registration Now Open! ICM Courses

Registration now open! Funded by State Justice Institute, ICM offers a wide variety of high-quality, evidence-based courses for court professionals and the general public. If you’re looking to advance your career, take a look into these courses. Registration for all 2023 virtual courses is now open! Courses fill up quickly, so be sure to register early: https://courses.ncsc.org National Center for State Courts

Upcoming Webinar! Black Robes and White Coats: Using Project ECHO to Increase Judiciary Knowledge about Substance Use Disorder

Upcoming Webinar! Hosted by SAMHSA’s GAINS Center on Monday, November 21st, 2022, from 2:30-4:00PM EST. Black Robes and White Coats: Using Project ECHO to Increase Judiciary Knowledge about Substance Use Disorder. High rates of substance use and overdoses among people interfacing with the criminal justice system have highlighted a need for judges to be more informed and aware of substance use disorders and optimal treatment approaches. Register here.

Webinar: Disarming Disinformation: How Courts Can Respond

Learn guidelines and steps courts can take to combat disinformation – before an incident develops – in this second installment in our disinformation series. We’ll discuss the work of Arizona’s Task Force on Countering Disinformation and a recently adopted resolution from the Conference of Chief Justices and Conference of State Court Administrators. We’ll also hear from an industry expert with deep knowledge of national security and disinformation and learn about NCSC’s “Combating Disinformation” playbook for courts.

Thursday, October 6th 3:00 PM ET.

Moderator:

  • Marcia Meis | Director, Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts

Panelists:

  • Preston Golson | Director, Brunswick Group, Washington, D.C.
  • Aaron Nash | Director, Certification & Licensing Division, Arizona Supreme Court

Register here

Low-Cost Ways to Increase Court Appearances

Thursday, September 29th. 4:00-5:00 PM ET.

During this webinar, hear experts discuss why appearance rates matter, low-cost interventions courts can implement to improve appearance rates, and what broad-scale reform to improve court appearance rates can look like. NCSC will also convene interested judges, court administrators, and practitioners from around the country to share their experiences and brainstorm new ways to help court users overcome barriers to accessing court.

Moderator:

  • Shelly Cern | Principal Court Management Consultant, National Center for State Courts

Panelists:

  • Alissa Fishbane | Managing Director, ideas42
  • Pamerson Ifill |  Deputy Commissioner of Pretrial, State of Massachusetts
  • Martha Wright | Judicial Council of California
  • Judge Milas “Butch” Hale | District Court of Arkansas, Sherwood 

Register here

Upcoming Webinars from the National Immigrant Women’s Advocacy Project

NIWAP Upcoming Webinars

  1. Webinar: Naturalization of VAWA, SIJS, U, and T Visa Recipient Survivors: TTA from USCIS and NIWAP (September 23, 2022)
  2. Webinar: New Regulation Policies and Court Rulings’ Impact on State Courts Issuing Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) Orders (October 4, 2022)
  3. Webinar: What Judges, Attorneys, and Prosecutors Need to Know About How VAWA Confidentiality Impacts Discovery in Cases Involving Immigrant Survivors (October 14, 2022)

Naturalization of VAWA, SIJS, U, and T Visa Recipient Survivors: TTA from USCIS and NIWAP

 Friday, September 23, 2022, 12:00-1:30 pm EST

Description

This webinar will provide participants with an overview of the naturalization process of VAWA, SIJS, U, and T visa recipients.  U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will discuss their work to remove barriers to citizenship and promote naturalization under  Executive Order 14012 and the Interagency Strategy for Promoting Naturalization, as well as review the naturalization application process and address the particular circumstances, needs, and concerns of lawful permanent residents who were VAWA self-petitioners, T and U visa holders, and Special Immigrant Juveniles.

Information regarding the training and technical assistance NIWAP can provide on immigrant survivors’ naturalization, and other Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) immigration matters will also be shared during the webinar.

Faculty

  1. Leslye E. Orloff,  Director,NIWAP, American University, Washington College of Law
  2. Kelly Ryan,  USCIS, Senior Advisor USCIS
  3. Mary Flores,  USCIS, Chief of Citizenship Education Branch
  4. Colleen Zengotitabengoa,  Chief of the Refugee and Asylum Law Division in the USCIS Office of Chief Counsel
  5. Edna Yang, Co-Executive Director, American Gateways

Target Audience

This FREE webinar is designed for victim advocates, attorneys, and law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, OVW grantees, other victim service providers who would like up-to-date information on how NIWAP can support their work, as well as how to aid noncitizen survivors in attaining naturalization.

New Regulation Policies and Court Rulings’ Impact on State Courts Issuing Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) Orders

 Tuesday, October 4, 2022, 3:00-4:00 PM EST

Description

In 2022, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services issued new Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) regulations and policy guidance (March 2022) and an updated SIJS policy manual (May 2022).  In August 2022 the California Supreme Court issued a ruling In Re Guardianship of Saul H. that provides helpful direction to state courts issuing SIJS predicate orders. 

This webinar will provide updates, answer questions, and describe the impact of these new regulations, policies, and court rulings for state juvenile and family court judges issuing predicate orders that SIJS eligible children need to file for SIJS immigration relief.

Faculty will provide practice tips for judges and lawyers in addition to discussing best practices for drafting state court orders.  Faculty will also describe the impact these new policies and rulings have for state court practice in SIJ S cases and how these policies benefit the vulnerable immigrant children seeking help from state courts and through SIJS immigration protections. 

Faculty 

  1. David B. Thronson,  Director, Talsky Center for Human Rights of Women and Children, Michigan State University College of Law
  2. Hon. Victor Reyes (Ret.), Judge-In-Residence, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ)
  3. Leslye E. Orloff, Director, National Immigrant Women’s Advocacy Project (NIWAP), Washington College of Law

Target Audience 

This webinar is designed for state court judges and the attorneys who represent immigrant children seeking SIJS orders from state family and juvenile courts.

What Judges, Attorneys, and Prosecutors Need to Know About How VAWA Confidentiality Impacts Discovery in Cases Involving Immigrant Survivors

Friday, October 14, 2022, 1:00-2:30 pm EST

Description
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) confidentiality offers federal immigration law protections enacted to prevent perpetrators from learning about, interfering with, and obtaining information contained in survivors’ victim-based applications for immigration relief (VAWA, Battered Spouse Waiver, U and T visa cases). The faculty (judge, former prosecutor, family lawyer) will discuss how courts, prosecutors and attorneys should respond when offenders seek discovery of VAWA confidentiality protected information in criminal, family, and civil court cases. Best practices for anticipating, preparing for, and addressing VAWA confidentiality discovery issues in a manner that promotes and protects victim safety and offender accountability will be highlighted.  Attendees will receive up-to-date VAWA confidentiality case law; DHS policies, and practice pointers.

Faculty

  1. Hon. Mary Weir, Jackson County, Missouri, Associate Circuit Judge
  2. Jane Anderson, Attorney Advisor, AEquitas
  3. Leslye Orloff, Director, NIWAP

Target Audience

This webinar is designed for judges, prosecutors, victims’ family and civil lawyers, victim advocates, and OVW grantees.