Local Judge’s View:

By Steve Hanke

How do you prepare for a job that no one can prepare for? This isn’t meant to be a rhe­torical question. As a new judge, I am often asked what orientation looks like for the posi­tion. There is frankly an enormous amount to learn about being a judge that can only be learned through the actual practice of judi­cial duties.

Fortunately, Minne­sota has an exception­ally strong judicial ed­ucation program. The Minnesota Judicial Branch and the 6th Ju­dicial District — con­sisting of Cook, Lake, St. Louis (Duluth, Hibbing, and Virgin­ia), and Carlton coun­ties — provide initial and ongoing training for judges. What does that look like?

Variety is the spice of judicial life. In our district, your judges preside over all types of cases. There are hundreds of types of cases. In larger Min­nesota counties, like Hennepin and Ramsey, judges are assigned to a particular case rota­tion for a few years at a time. For example, a new Hennepin County judge may preside ex­clusively over misde­meanor criminal cases for the first three years. Instead of one type of case every three years, I often preside over three different types of cases in one day.

There are continuing judicial-education re­quirements. Judges are required to complete 45 hours of approved continuing judicial-ed­ucation coursework every three years. At least three of those hours of coursework must be diversity- and inclusion-related. We complete this course­work at state and na­tional judicial con­ferences and can also attend continuing le­gal-education courses for attorneys. These conferences include the Children’s Justice Initiative, Treatment Court Conference, Mental Health Court Conference, Digital Evidence for Judges, Family Law Institute, Rural Justice Initiative, and National Judicial Institute on Domestic Child Sex Trafficking.

New judges, with­in their first year on the bench, are also required to complete a weeklong orienta­tion program called the Honorable Tammi A. Fredrickson New Judge Orientation Pro­gram, named in honor of Judge Tammi Fred­rickson’s distinguished career on the 10th Ju­dicial District Bench in Anoka County. She had a passion for con­tributing to judicial ed­ucation in the Minne­sota Judicial Branch, and the program named for her provides newly appointed and elected judges with fundamental knowl­edge and insight on a variety of case-related topics, court-manage­ment skills, and judi­cial decorum and de­meanor best practices in a confidential cohort learning environment. Experienced faculty judges from across the Minnesota Judicial Branch share their ex­pertise and perspec­tives with participants and raise awareness of how they are a part of something greater than themselves and their own counties.

Additionally, judges in Minnesota, during each full term of of­fice, are required to tour at least one cor­rectional facility to which they sentence individuals. There are state correctional fa­cilities in Moose Lake, Rush City, Togo, Lino Lakes, Stillwater, Sha­kopee, St. Cloud, Oak Park Heights, Red Wing, and Faribault. It is important for judges to visit these facilities so they understand the conditions that await the people they incar­cerate.

Our district has a formal judicial men­torship program, too. Mentor judges provide constructive feedback, offer advice, and im­part their wisdom to newer judges.

Judges learn by do­ing, of course, since, again, an enormous amount to learn about being a judge can only be learned through the actual practice of judicial duties. Judg­es participate in state and national judicial trial skills courses in which they preside over mock live hear­ings and mock trials. We volunteer to judge the Minnesota High School Mock Trial Program and college and law school mock trial programs. We also observe each oth­er’s hearings and pro­vide feedback.

We want to do a good job. We want to continue to improve. Honestly, sometimes that means having the humility to admit when we don’t under­stand. We are in a pro­fession where getting better means learning.

Steve Hanke is a 6th Judicial District judge in the Lake County Courthouse in Two Harbors and Cook County Courthouse in Grand Marais.