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More than 100 judges, lawyers and law professors from across the country are meeting this week in Columbus to discuss instructions they issue to jurors before they begin deliberations on cases.
Co-hosted by the National Center for State Courts (NCSC), the Supreme Court of Ohio and the Ohio Judicial Conference, the two-day National Conference on Pattern Jury Instructions is taking place today and Friday, April 18 at the Hyatt Regency.
The conference is the first of its kind in the country to cover the best practices for researching points of law to be used in jury instructions and how best to share model instructions with jury instruction committees nationwide.
The conference agenda includes sessions with topics such as: drafting plain English jury instructions for civil and criminal cases; evaluating the comprehensibility of pattern jury instructions; juror comprehension and use of jury instructions; and different approaches to drafting rules and procedures.
Also of note, the NCSC will present its first award for jury innovation at this year’s conference to the California Judicial Branch and its Task Force on Jury Instructions. The G. Thomas Munsterman Award for Jury Innovation recognizes states, local courts, individuals or other organizations that have made significant improvements or innovations in jury procedures, operations or practices.
Contact: Chris Davey or Bret Crow at 614.387.9250.