Davidson County Criminal Court Judge Cheryl Blackburn has been awarded a State Justice Institute (SJI) scholarship to attend a tw0 week course in General Jurisdiction at the National Judicial College in Nevada.
SJI Executive Director David Tevelin said the award will cover tuition, transportation and lodging. Blackburn and judges from across the country will share ideas on courtroom and case management, including cases involving self-represented, or pro se, litigants.
Blackburn, a former prosecutor, has been on the bench in the 20 th Judicial District since 1996. She will attend the college in Reno March 22-April 1.
Federal law created SJI in 1984 to award grants to improve the quality of justice in state courts. The institute has awarded more than $100 million supporting more than 1,000 projects.
The National Judicial College was founded in 1963. The school averages 85 courses a year with more than 2,700 judges enrolling from across the nation. It is located on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno and includes technology-enhanced classrooms, a 75,000-volume law library, state-of-the-art model courtroom, modern seminar rooms, distance education facilities, computer lab and offices of the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Courts and Media.