CLDP held five days of U.S. Consultations on judicial education, publications, and distance learning programs in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area. In attendance were 3 officials from the Academy of Justice of Armenia, 4 officials from the High School of Justice of Georgia, and 1 Georgian judge. The program, based on topics specifically requested by the two institutions, featured presentations, interactive discussions, question and answer sessions, and court visits.

The delegates met with the Federal Judicial Center, non-profit organizations such as the International Judicial Academy, the American Bar Association’s Rule of Law Initiative, the National Center for State Courts, and the National Association of State Judicial Educators. The delegation also met with state institutions such as the Judicial Institute of Maryland and the Center for Education and Training for the District of Columbia Courts. Moreover, the participants were exposed to the federal court system through meetings with judges and staff from the U.S. District Court in Maryland. Lastly, the delegation met with the D.C. Judicial College, which is designed as a model full-time, degree-granting, multidisciplinary state judicial program.

Topics discussed included the principles of judicial education, the administrative details of judicial education, and the selection of faculty and faculty development. The delegation gained insight about using technology to enhance learning, experimental learning, and judicial resources such as benchbooks. Participants discussed the activities and capacities of various national, state, public, and private judicial education organizations and the dialogue between such organizations, courts, and judges.