NJEP Task Forces

The National Judicial Education Program's (NJEP) judicial education programs were the catalyst for a series of task forces established by state chief justices, state supreme courts and federal circuit councils to examine gender bias in their own court systems and recommend reforms. At its 1988 annual meeting, the Conference of Chief Justices adopted a resolution urging every Chief Justice to establish a task force "devoted to the study of gender bias in the courts." In 1999, the National Conference on Public Trust and Confidence in the Justice System, attended by teams from every state that included the chief justice, state court administrator and state bar president, voted to make implementing the recommendations of the task forces on gender, race and ethnic bias in the courts a priority. The task forces documented discriminatory court decisions, policies and practices and made numerous recommendations to eradicate these barriers to equal justice.

Publications

NJEP developed several publications describing how to establish and operate a gender bias task force, implement its recommendations, and evaluate its impact.

• Gender Fairness in the Courts: Action in the New Millenium - A 15-point implementation plan to achieve gender fairness in the courts from the Gender Fairness Strategies Project and NJEP. This manual provides a guide to integrate and institutionalize strategies to address gender fairness and access in the courts. June 2001
• Gender Fairness Strategies Project: Implementation Resources Directory - A compilation of readily-replicated steps taken by state courts nationwide in response to the recommendations of their task forces on gender bias in the courts, such as bench books, codes of conduct complaint procedures, implementation of gender-neutral language, and legislation in substantive law areas. January 1998
• Learning From The New Jersey Supreme Court Task Force On Women In The Courts: Evaluation, Recommendations And Implications For Other States - NJEP was the catalyst for a series of task forces to examine gender bias in court systems across the country. New Jersey was the first state to establish a Supreme Court Task Force on Women in the Courts. This article assesses the status of the New Jersey task force's recommendations and evaluates the task force’s impact on substantive judicial decision-making and the treatment of women in court environments. May 1991
• Planning for Evaluation: Guidelines for Task Forces on Gender Bias in the Courts - This manual provides evaluation guidelines for every stage of creating, implementing, and institutionalizing task forces on gender bias in the courts. September 1989
• Operating a Task Force on Gender Bias in the Courts: A Manual for Action - This manual provides strategies for creating, implementing, and institutionalizing task forces on gender bias in the courts. It provides information on data collection, dissemination, how to implement and monitor reforms, and more. October 1986