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Judicature

PUBLISHED BY:
Bolch Judicial Institute
Duke Law School

A Finer Point

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

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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. […]

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James Madison Fellows Tammy Bean, Alabama, and Anthony Cherry, Oklahoma, with Melissa Rankin, civics coordinator for the Southern District of Alabama.

Engaging Judges and Teachers to Boost Civic Education

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Vol. 109 No. 1 (2025) | Celebrating a Decade at Duke

PICTURED ABOVE (L-R): James Madison Fellows Tammy Bean, Alabama, and Anthony Cherry, Oklahoma, with Melissa Rankin, civics coordinator for the Southern District of Alabama Federal judges, court professionals, outstanding teachers, […]

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Archive photo of President McKinley being sworn in ,

The Chief Justice’s Ceremonial(ish) Inauguration Role

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Vol. 108 No. 3 (2025) | Problem-Solving Courts

Pictured Above: President William McKinley’s inauguration was the first recorded on film; here he is sworn in by Chief Justice Melville Fuller with outgoing President Grover Cleveland at right. March […]

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Cartoon of a woman and man being held in a judge's hand

Junior-Attorney Training and Use of the Judicial Power

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Vol. 108 No. 2 (2024) | Judges Under Siege?

In 2023, the American Bar Association passed a resolution urging judges to allow a second lawyer to present at oral argument if he or she has practiced for ten or […]

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Cartoon image of overlapping faces in bright colors ,

Better Services for Familiar Faces

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Vol. 108 No. 1 (2024) | Harnessing AI for Justice

Understanding mental illness and addiction is rarely thought of as part of the necessary education for judges. Yet judges throughout our country are continually forced to confront the effects of […]

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3d rendering of film reel, popcorn bucket, and clapperboard suspended in air above sound block with gavel beside. Film review. Public opinion. Appeal to public.

And the Oscar goes to . . . courtroom dramas!

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Vol. 107 No. 3 (2024) | Justitia

Actor Jack Nicholson’s witness-stand response to Tom Cruise in A Few Good Men is one of the most quoted lines from one of the most popular genres of film — the courtroom drama. […]

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Archive photo of President Taft at a baseball game

Not Just Umpires — Justices Are Fans, Too.

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Vol. 107 No. 2 (2023) | Generative AI in the Courts

The Supreme Court’s jurisprudence on baseball began in 1922 with a unanimous ruling in an anti-trust case, Federal Baseball Club v. National League, that holds to this day. But the Court’s relationship with baseball isn’t just through its cases. The men and women who have served on the Court include many committed baseball fans. […]

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2022 Maryland Supreme Court wearing red robes ,

Renaming Maryland’s Appellate Courts

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Vol. 107 No. 1 (2023) | Toward Fairer, Quicker, Cheaper Litigation

What’s in a name? According to Maryland’s voters, there’s something to it. […]

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Detail of "Justice for All," a painting by Natasha Ramras ,

Justice for All: Artwork by Natasha Ramras (PDF)

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Vol. 106 No. 3 (2023) | Forging New Trails

Natasha Ramras is an Oregon/Washington painter who uses acrylic and oil to capture the beauty of the Pacific Northwest in her landscapes and the salient issues of the day in her contemporary works. […]

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Judge white wig on a black background. ,

Legal Tradition — Or Symbol of Subjugation?

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Vol. 106 No. 2 (2022) | Losing faith?

Recently a huge controversy erupted in Zimbabwe over the alleged purchase of British horsehair wigs for Zimbabwean judges. Given the financial challenges ordinary Zimbabweans face, it was not surprising that […]

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