Vera Wheatley
From the Courthouse to the Community: The Past, Present, and Future of Judicial Outreach
In a harrowingly divided political climate with startlingly low rates of faith in the judicial process, bridging the gap between judges and those over which they seek to fairly preside is one of the most crucial and central goals of the Berkeley Judicial Institute. As such, beyond supporting the day-to-day needs of the institute and its events, my research this summer will consist of continuing to compile case studies in the form of interviews with judges who run successful community outreach projects in their district, supplemented by an in-depth historical review of the histories and intricacies of every kind of judicial program, including how and why each example came to flourish or otherwise. Ultimately, this will result in a comprehensive and interactive how-to guide for judges across the country to turn to for inspiration, resources, and motivation to make strides towards positive changes of their own.
Message To Sponsor
I’m immensely grateful to be given the chance to bring my research over this last year to its finishing point, as I’m very passionate about this work and truly believe that making this database accessible to the judicial world will lead to real growth in the right hands. Thank you so much for this opportunity!