December 12, 2024
By Giuseppe Fazari
The opportunity to visit a district trial court provided a platform to enhance its recruitment pool by engaging with a diverse student cohort of undergraduates. They were mostly criminal justice majors, located in the same county as a national university where select courses were offered during the 2022-23 academic year.
The students were surveyed before the program launch and then again following the session. The visitation allowed students to observe actual court proceedings, including a sentencing and plea hearing, and engage with judges, executive-level managers, and other personnel, all of whom provided an overview of their roles and responsibilities, with time for students to ask questions about the work and career trajectory of the professionals.
Results showed high rates of satisfaction among participants, who were more motivated to learn about court career opportunities afterward. Eighty-six percent expressed a newfound interest in at least exploring and discussing the job opportunities available in the judiciary.
Overall, the visit provided students with a clearer understanding of select concepts of court administration, a broader view of the trial court system and the community it serves, and an opportunity to build and foster court network contacts for future internships and job opportunities.
Likewise, the judiciary appeared to benefit from the program because it gained a diverse candidate pool of students from which to recruit prospective interns and employees. This appeared particularly noteworthy for minority students who engaged with court professionals with similar ethnic and racial backgrounds. The professionalism and positive impression espoused by a probation supervisor (a Hispanic female), criminal division judge (an African American male), and jury management supervisor (an African American female) were remarkable and noted in students’ comments.
Many students approached court professionals following their respective presentations to inquire further about their experiences. The administrators and judge provided a comfort level by offering advice and support. They were generous with their time in responding to the impromptu questions of the group.
The visit showed the students firsthand that the court was inclusive, served as an advocate for disenfranchised groups, removed real and perceived barriers, demonstrated a commitment to a diverse workforce, and amplified the sense of community that the court administrators were proud to serve. It also provided court staff with a unique opportunity to discuss their work experiences—conversations that appeared to energize both the students and professionals.
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