Court Consulting Services VP Laurie Givens welcomes new role
Laurie Givens was talking with two of her children - both law students at the University of Kentucky law school - about the many doors that a law degree can open, beyond just working in private law practice.
The conversation was timely given that Givens, herself an alumna of UK law, had just made a significant professional life change.
Givens, who served as the administrative director for the Kentucky unified court system between 2009 and 2023, began work at NCSC on June 19 as the Center’s vice president for Court Consulting Services. As vice president, she provides expert support across areas of court services including civil, criminal, family, behavioral health, guardianship, and housing. Givens also serves as a member of NCSC’s executive leadership team. Maybe most importantly, Givens serves as a leader and mentor for the dozens of staff in the Court Consulting Services group.
“I am so impressed by the talent and experience at NCSC and am especially excited to be part of CCS. I love being in our fast-paced work environment, building personal relationships and taking the time to understand challenges,” she said. “I value the strong team at NCSC and CCS’s relationship with all of our departments.”
In spite of the career change, Givens will remain in Kentucky, keeping her close to her husband David, and children Kathleen and Matthew, rising 3L and 1L, respectively. She will visit NCSC’s headquarters in Williamsburg, Va., on a frequent basis, which works out well for seeing more of her son Tate, who is a rising junior at William & Mary. Her travel schedule will also provide opportunities to visit daughter Hannah, head of volleyball operations at the University of Lynchburg, and son Michael, a rising senior at Georgetown University.
Givens also admits to being in the early stages of embracing the world of remote work, having been in an office for her entire career. It’s something she says she knows she will have to grow into.
“If the world has taught us anything these last few years, it’s that we can’t stand still,” Givens says. “For me, the time was right to make this change. I am honored to join the talented team at NCSC and continue my career working for state courts and supporting the mission of judicial branches across the country.”
Nominations open for G. Thomas Munsterman Award for Jury Innovation
NCSC’s Center for Jury Studies is currently accepting nominations for the annual G. Thomas Munsterman Award for Jury Innovation.
Named for the center’s founder and former director, the award recognizes significant improvements or innovations in jury procedures, operations, or practices in state or local statutes, rules, or other formal changes; jury management or technology; in-court improvements; and other improvements or innovations.
The nomination deadline is September 22. For more information or to make a nomination, visit the Munsterman Award online.
Share user-centered design practices in the UX Court Capers Challenge
How is your court changing the user experience (UX) for its customers? Are you adding more signage (high-tech or no-tech) in your facilities? Or maybe you’ve simplified your forms so they’re easier to read and understand? The UX Court Capers Challenge invites courts to enter examples of user-centered design to showcase at this year’s CTC 2023 Conference.
Submissions should address the exceptional nature of the user experience practice or technology, how it can be improved and lessons learned. The challenge ends on Aug. 9. For more information and to enter, visit UX Court Capers Challenge or contact Alicia Davis.