No images? Click here From Director David F. Levi Dear Friends: As we begin the new year here at the Bolch Judicial Institute, we are particularly grateful for your support and engagement in our work. You will read below about our many recent and upcoming programs, but I will note one in particular here: Our discussion with two Afghan women judges who were evacuated in the days after the fall of Kabul, thanks to help from lawyers and judges around the world. It is heartbreaking to hear these courageous judges describe their difficult journeys and the anguish of leaving behind their homes and the careers they fought so hard for. They and their many colleagues still in Afghanistan fear the worst as the Taliban systematically eliminates all vestiges of the democracy they tried to build. I hope their story inspires all of us in both the private and public sectors to do more together to aid the judges of Afghanistan, particularly the women judges who are in such peril. I also hope their story inspires us to see with new perspective the challenges we face and the blessings of liberty we enjoy in our own country and communities. Autocrats everywhere around the world are working to dismantle the institutions that protect the rule of law, and attacking judicial independence is high on their list. It is up to us to safeguard our judiciary, to bolster the institutions that protect the rule of law, and to work daily to improve our system of justice. Our courts are not perfect, but they are a bulwark of the rule of law, our freedoms, and our democracy. They must have our support and trust as well as our continuing efforts to make them better. Thank you again for your support for the Bolch Judicial Institute. Best wishes to you and yours for a happy and healthy 2022. David F. Levi Recent News Judge J. Clifford Wallace to receive 2022 Bolch Prize for the Rule of LawChief Judge Emeritus J. Clifford Wallace of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has been selected to receive the 2022 Bolch Prize for the Rule of Law. Judge Wallace will be honored during a ceremony in San Diego, Calif., in March 2022. Read More» Levi to retire as director of Bolch Judicial InstituteDavid F. Levi will retire from his role as director of the Bolch Judicial Institute on June 30, 2022, capping a 15-year tenure at Duke Law School that included 11 years as dean and four years as the founding director of the Institute. Read More» Judicature launches international editionThe Bolch Judicial Institute of Duke Law’s flagship journal Judicature has launched an international edition, Judicature International, featuring new online-exclusive articles every month. The December edition features a moving interview with two Afghan women judges who recently fled Afghanistan and representatives of the international organizations working to assist women judges. Read More» Levi, Lemos, Dellinger conclude service on Presidential Supreme Court CommissionThe Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States unanimously voted to submit its final report to President Biden on Dec. 7. Read More» Bolch Judicial Institute hosts the third annual Mass Tort MDL certificate course Established in 2019 by the late Duke Law Professor Francis McGovern, the course offered a comprehensive survey of mass tort MDLs from the initial motion for transfer to navigating the intricacies of settlement. Read More» In Case You Missed It: The summer 2021 edition of Judicature is available online. Articles in this edition include panel discussions on judicial independence and civic education, an explanation of judicial temperament, and remembrance of Judge Thomas Morrow Reavley. Support the Institute Please consider making the Bolch Judicial Institute one of the organizations you support this year. To make a gift, visit judicialstudies.duke.edu/give. |