Judicial administrator announces retirement

Dr. Howard Schwartz, longtime Kansas Judicial Administrator, announced his retirement after 32 years as head of the Office of Judicial Administration, the Supreme Court's administrative arm. He is the longest serving State Court Administrator in the nation.

As Judicial Administrator, Dr. Schwartz oversaw much change in the Kansas courts over the years, including the automation of the state's courts, implementation of statewide child support guidelines, development of a case management system, and administering a now 30-year program to reduce delay in the courts. He presided over court unification in the 1980s, which consolidated the many local courts throughout the state into a single, efficient, and responsive court system operating under the Supreme Court.

His retirement is effective March 5th. A retirement ceremony is scheduled in the Supreme Court Courtroom for February 25th, with a reception following. Schwartz is only the second person to be appointed as head of the Office of Judicial Administration, which provides administrative services for the state court system. Besides being responsible for implementing the rules and policies of the Supreme Court as they apply to court administration, Schwartz and his staff perform duties related to fiscal operations, personnel management, education, statistical caseload information, public information, court services, and many other administrative matters involving the trial and appellate courts.

He began public service in Kansas in 1975, when he became Director of Employment Services in the state's Division of Personnel, a position he held until 1978, when he accepted a position as Personnel Officer in the Office of Judicial Administration. He received the 1989 Distinguished Service Award of the National Center for State Courts for an outstanding career in court administration in Kansas and for national leadership in the areas of court delay reduction, jury management, and child support enforcement. He also was awarded the 1999 Kansas Public Administrator of the Year Award and the Kansas Bar Association's Honorary Membership Award in 2007, one of only four recipients in Bar Association history.

Schwartz is married to Elaine Schwartz and has four children and nine grandchildren.