Administrative Office of the Courts
JUDICIAL COLLEGE The Judicial College was established by administrative order in 2016, under then Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera, replacing the Judicial Institute and merging with the existing Professional Development and Technology Education departments. The Judicial College is responsible for providing high quality and effective educational opportunities for judges, magistrates, commissioners, and other judiciary employees. Since 2016, the Judicial College has increased its number of course and program offering by more than 200% by expanding learning modalities to include face-to-face, webinar, instructor-led distance learning, and self-paced distance courses. INTERNAL AFFAIRS Internal Affairs is comprised of Fair Practices, Internal Audit, and Legal Affairs. It was created in 2014 to provide legal and audit- related advice and support to the Maryland Judiciary. JUDICIAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS (JIS) Established in 1976, JIS was created to develop and implement electronic applications to support criminal and juvenile court case management for the Circuit Court for Baltimore City. Today JIS supports all case types and major IT initiatives in the District Court, the circuit courts, the Court of Special Appeals, and the Court of Appeals, as well as administrative offices and other judicial units. JIS is responsible for multiple data centers and a statewide network connecting all court facilities. PROGRAMS The Programs Division was created in 2014 as part of a reorganization of the Judiciary that helped to streamline
operations, increase support for courts and justice partners, and promote internal collaboration and teamwork. Programs helps advance the Judiciary’s mission to provide fair, efficient, and effective justice for all by supporting court innovations and services statewide. Programs provides grant funding, subject matter expertise, Judicial Council committee support, and other services to courts and justice partners in the areas of access to justice, juvenile and family services, mediation and conflict resolution, problem-solving courts, and research and analysis. OPERATIONS Operations was created in 2014 to address matters related to the efficient operations of the courts and assists in the development of consistent statewide operations, policies, and best practices. They are responsible for the Office of Facilities and Security Administration as well as Budget and Finance, Procurement, Contract and Grant Administration. GOVERNMENT RELATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS (GRPA) The government relations and public affairs functions were established under the Maryland Court of Appeals on June 11, 1997, as the Court Information Office. In 2001, then Chief Judge Robert M. Bell created a new, expanded legislative team within the Court Information Office to coordinate legislative outreach efforts, and in 2007, he ordered that Government Relations become a separate office reporting directly to the chief judge. Additionally, the Court Information Office’s name was changed in 2010 by administrative order to the Office of Communications and Public Affairs. In 2017, then Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera merged the two offices, establishing Government Relations and Public Affairs under the Administrative Office of the Courts, which focuses on internal and external communications, media and government relations, and public outreach.
46 | Maryland Judiciary
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