Vol. 109 No. 2 (2025) - Communicating to the People

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Judicature at Ten: Growth, Gratitude, and the Work Ahead

by Paul W. Grimm

Vol. 109 No. 2 (2025) | Communicating to the People

This year we celebrate Judicature’s 10th anniversary and remarkable growth at Duke Law School. I well remember our first publication. I was in Duke’s Master of Judicial Studies (MJS) program and […]

Pew survey examines experiences with, perceptions of state courts

by Ruth Rosenthal and Erika Rickard

Vol. 109 No. 2 (2025) | Communicating to the People

Throughout the country, people rely on state and local courts to resolve a wide variety of issues, from traffic tickets and divorces to debt cases and shoplifting charges.1 These interactions can […]

Judicial Honors: Vol. 109 No. 2

by Michelle Kaminsky

Vol. 109 No. 2 (2025) | Communicating to the People

Judicial Honors celebrates notable recognitions and milestones across the judiciary, spotlighting judges whose leadership and service strengthen courts and the rule of law. This edition features 2025 Jurists of the Year honorees, lifetime achievement awards, and international honors.

Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to serve as next director of the Bolch Judicial Institute

by Melinda Myers Vaughn

Vol. 109 No. 2 (2025) | Communicating to the People

Senior District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California will serve as the next David F. Levi Professor of the Practice of […]

New Duke Endowment Fund to Support Judicature

by Judicature Staff

Vol. 109 No. 2 (2025) | Communicating to the People

PICTURED ABOVE: David and Jan Ichel (center) with 2025 recipients of Ichel scholarships. Their scholarships currently support 14 students across Duke University. David and Jan Ichel, longtime supporters of Duke […]

Some more pet peeves (PDF)

by Joseph Kimble

Vol. 109 No. 2 (2025) | Communicating to the People

In this Redlines column, Joseph Kimble examines a series of small but telling writing habits that regularly appear in judicial opinions and legal documents. None of these missteps is serious […]

Illustration showing a judge, legal documents, digital records, security symbols, and a computer interface connected by lines, representing the use of generative artificial intelligence and technology in court systems while emphasizing oversight, research, and safeguards.

Judging AI: How U.S. Judges Can Harness Generative AI Without Compromising Justice

by Xavier Rodriguez

Vol. 109 No. 2 (2025) | Communicating to the People

In a voting-rights trial with thousands of pages of evidence, generative AI tools offered a glimpse of how technology might ease the judiciary’s heaviest burdens. E-discovery tools that harness the power […]

Illustration of a hand holding a megaphone against a red background, with abstract letters and lines emerging from the megaphone and the words “Communicating Decisions to the Public,” symbolizing courts’ efforts to explain judicial decisions clearly and accessibly to the public.

The Supreme Court and the People: Communicating Decisions to the Public

by Barry Sullivan and Ramon Feldbrin

Vol. 109 No. 2 (2025) | Communicating to the People

As courts around the world face the challenge of reaching the public, some are finding new ways to make their decisions clearer and more accessible. This article explores how Canada, Germany, […]

100 Years of the Federal Arbitration Act

by Paul Bland, John H. Chun, Linda A. Klein and Pamela K. Bookman

Vol. 109 No. 2 (2025) | Communicating to the People

Passed in 1925 with scarcely a word of dissent in Congress, the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) was designed to encourage arbitration agreements as an alternative dispute mechanism, particularly in commercial […]

Judicial Well-Being and Mindfulness

by Thomas G.W. Telfer

Vol. 109 No. 2 (2025) | Communicating to the People

“Judicial stress is not a weakness and must not be stigmatised,” affirms the 2024 Nauru Declaration on Judicial Well-being. This international call reflects growing recognition that judges, like lawyers and law […]

‘Never the Attorney’: Race, Gender, and Misattribution in the Legal Profession

by Tao L. Dumas and Laura P. Moyer

Vol. 109 No. 2 (2025) | Communicating to the People

Women attorneys, especially women of color, are often mistaken for nonlawyer staff — a routine misidentification that signals who is seen as belonging in the profession. “I don’t know if they just see […]

Illustration of four human figures drawn in chalk on a green chalkboard, arranged in a circle with arrows connecting them. Each figure is paired with a lightbulb icon, suggesting shared ideas, collaboration, and scenario-based thinking about future decision-making.

Preserving the Future of Juries and Jury Trials

by Paula Hannaford-Agor

Vol. 109 No. 2 (2025) | Communicating to the People

The American justice system has evolved at a dizzying pace over the past several years.1 COVID-19 spurred many changes, especially the rapid implementation of remote technologies. Other influences predated the pandemic, […]

Colorful illustration of vertical book spines arranged side by side, each labeled with different volumes and issues of Judicature, such as “Volume 107 Number 3” and “Volume 99 Number 3.” The spines feature a wide range of vibrant colors, including red, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Some titles also read “Bolch Judicial Institute of Duke Law School.” The image symbolizes a rich archive of legal scholarship.

Decade at Duke, Part II of III: Standout Articles from Judicature’s Past 10 Years

by Amelia Ashton Thorn and Jake McAuliffe

Vol. 109 No. 2 (2025) | Communicating to the People

In 2015, the Bolch Judicial Institute at Duke Law School took over publication of Judicature from the American Judicature Society, refocusing the journal on issues of particular interest to judges: […]

Illustration of overlapping surveillance cameras pointing in different directions, symbolizing how video evidence can be interpreted differently by judges and appellate courts.

Challenges in Appellate Review of Video- and Audio-Recorded Trial Evidence

by Jack M. Sabatino

Vol. 109 No. 2 (2025) | Communicating to the People

Video and audio don’t always speak for themselves. In appellate courts, the significance and weight of recorded evidence often will turn on perception as much as precedent. The proliferation of […]

Illustrated landscape of layered mountain peaks and evergreen forests at sunrise, evoking the remote and majestic national parks where U.S. magistrate judges preside over federal court proceedings.

Courts in the Wild: Magistrate Judges in U.S. National Parks

by Alison S. Bachus

Vol. 109 No. 2 (2025) | Communicating to the People

As any lawyer in the federal courts knows, magistrate judges fulfill many critical roles.1 One unique and lesser known of those roles is the work of magistrate judges in our national […]

Charlie, a goldendoodle courthouse therapy dog, sits calmly indoors wearing a therapy vest and soft ear coverings, offering comfort to courthouse visitors.

Paws for Justice

by Patti Clark

Vol. 109 No. 2 (2025) | Communicating to the People

“Court can be ruff,” as they say at the Jackson County, Ill., courthouse where Charlie, a goldendoodle therapy dog, is helping ease courtroom anxiety and make the judicial process smoother. […]

In This Edition (Table of Contents Vol. 109 No. 2)

by Judicature Staff

Vol. 109 No. 2 (2025) | Communicating to the People

In This Edition offers a quick guide to Judicature Vol. 109 No. 2, “Communicating to the People.” Highlights include articles on generative AI and judging, public-facing court communication, arbitration at 100, judicial well-being, juries, video evidence, and more.