by Bryan Gibel
Daily Lobo
Although they may hold your future in their hands, many judges are unprepared for their jobs when they take office, said Paul Biderman, director of the Institute of Public Law.
"Roughly two-thirds of the judges in New Mexico are not attorneys, have never been to law school and, in many cases, have never even been to college," Biderman said.
The institute, part of the UNM School of Law, provides research, analysis and legal expertise to government agencies, he said.
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"I see our mission as promoting excellence in government through the law," he said.
The institute was founded in 1969 and has about 50 employees.
It runs on a budget of about $4 million, most of which is raised through contracts with state agencies and appropriations from the Legislature, Biderman said.
He said one of the institute's main goals is to prepare judges to run their courtrooms justly.
Through its Judicial Education Center, the institute runs one of the largest Web sites in the country for judges, teaches a seven-day course in legal procedure and assigns novice judges to a more experienced mentor.
The center also holds a series of conferences each year to ensure the judges in New Mexico are up to date on procedures, said Pam Lambert, the center's director.
In New Mexico, about 300 judges and 1,500 court staff have been through the institute's training courses, Lambert said.
The institute was given a national award in front of four U.S. Supreme Court justices in 2002 for its efforts, Biderman said.
"Our work was considered path-breaking for the country," he said. "We were in the lead in providing Web-based education and resources for judges."
The institute also trains and licenses driver education schools and driver improvement schools; works on issues of child abuse, neglect and domestic violence; and helps develop the way the state manages water resources.
Another project the institute runs is the Center for Wildlife Law Wild Friends program, which teaches children in grades four through 12 about the legislative process, said Carolyn Byers, the wildlife center's director.
The students choose an issue, learn about the topic and draft a bill that they lobby for at the state Legislature, she said.
"This all happens by actually doing things hands on," she said. "Going up to the Legislature, meeting representatives, shaking their hands and asking them to push for a bill that you helped to write - that's an incredibly powerful experience."
Student Laura Finley started in the program as a sixth-grader.
She said it her got involved in politics and prepared her for
college.
"I've spoken in front of the state Legislature many times," she said. "I use a lot of the communication skills I learned in my day-to-day life and in my classes."
Finley said she gives back by being a mentor in the program.
"I got to take a new group of students up to Santa Fe last year," she said. "Because I was no longer a high school student, I got to help out as a chaperon. It was really great to pass on what I've learned."
