Four attend leadership institute

TOPEKA—Four representatives of the Kansas courts were selected to attend the national 2004 Leadership Institute in Judicial Education, conducted June 8-13 at the University of Memphis Center for the Study of Higher Education, it was announced in Topeka today.

They include Supreme Court Justice Robert E. Davis, Topeka; Denise Kilwein, Director of Judicial Education, Topeka; Chief Judge Stephen Tatum, Olathe; and Chief Judge Robert Fairchild, Lawrence. Teams from Guam, Iowa, and Utah also were selected to participate in the Institute.

The Leadership Institute is sponsored by the University of Memphis Center for the Study of Higher Education. The Institute was conducted on the University of Memphis campus. The primary purpose of the Institute is to evaluate the system of judicial education for the state. The ultimate goal of the Institute is more highly developed members of the judicial branch and an improved system of justice for the people of the states selected to participate.

The Kansas team members' attendance was supported by scholarships awarded by the State Justice Institute. The State Justice Institute (SJI) is a non-profit organization established by federal law to award grants to improve the quality of justice in State courts nationwide, facilitate better coordination between state and federal courts, and foster innovative, efficient solutions to common problems faced by all courts.