Educational program designed to improve understanding of Wisconsin courts
When the general public is well-informed and educated on the way of the courts and legal system, it's easier for all of those involved in the legal sphere – from judges, attorneys to court reporters – to do their jobs. That's a guiding principle behind a presentation recently held in Madison that was sponsored by the State Bar of Wisconsin.
The Our Courts program – developed in Colorado – offers residents with nonpartisan and accessible information on the operations and functions of the courts, in an effort to better educate the public on the nuances of the legal system. This is designed to combat what State Bar Public Education Coordinator Marsha Varvil-Weld describes as "sensational" media coverage, which is often the only source of court information available for the general public.
"That makes general and accurate information about the courts difficult to find. Our Courts presentations address the role of fair and impartial courts in applying and preserving the rule of law. The Our Courts program will fill a need that no one else has been adequately addressing," said Varvil-Weld in a report on the State Bar website.
In August, a session was held with local judges, attorneys and legal professionals to discuss the merits and application of such a program in Wisconsin. State Bar officials hope to roll out the educational forum to the public in 2013, said the report.
The State Bar said it recognized a need for this type of education in 2008, when a survey of Wisconsin residents showed a general lack of knowledge regarding the structure and processes of the state court system. With a better-informed public, local judges, attorneys and court reporters might encounter less skepticism and more thoughtful analysis of legal proceedings from the general discourse.
