Six Kansas judges complete course at The National Judicial College

TOPEKA — Six judges from Kansas recently completed a two-week general jurisdiction course at The National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada.

The course introduces newer judges to a variety of subjects and skills they need in the courtroom. Topics covered include managing a courtroom, managing cases, conducting bench and jury trials, ruling on evidence, handling cases involving self-represented litigants, making fair and unbiased decisions, and effective communication.

Kansas judges who completed the course are:

• District Judge Grant Bannister, 21st Judicial District, Riley County, appointed in 2016

• District Judge Gregory Keith, 18th Judicial District , Sedgwick County, elected in 2016

• District Judge James McCabria, 7th Judicial District, Douglas County, appointed in 2014

• District Judge Courtney Mikesic, 29th Judicial District, Wyandotte County, elected in 2016

• District Judge Christopher Smith, 19th Judicial District, Cowley County, elected in 2016

• District Judge Eric Williams, 18th Judicial District, Sedgwick County, elected in 2016

The National Judicial College has made educational programs available to judges for more than 50 years. It is located on the University of Nevada-Reno campus and offers an average of 100 courses and programs a year, which are attended by more than 8,000 judges from all 50 states, U.S. territories, and more than 150 countries. Another 10,000 judicial officers access 30 to 50 educational courses via the internet each year.