Fair Courts Speakers Bureau Training (September session)
Start: Wednesday, September 25, 2019• 5:30 PM
End: Wednesday, September 25, 2019• 8:00 PM
Please join us for our Speakers Bureau Training session on Wednesday, September 25 from 5:30-8:00 pm.
We will provide an overview of the goals of the Fair Courts Speakers Bureau, the anticipated time commitment, and curriculum training. Dinner will be provided.
What is the Fair Courts Speakers Bureau?
We are recruiting speakers with varying levels of familiarity with the courts, and training them to lead presentations and discussions with groups. We will pair speakers to give presentations, ideally teaming a legal volunteer with a non-legal volunteer.
Upon training completion, speakers will be dispatched to give Fair Courts presentations to community gatherings. Our intended audiences include: pastors and church groups, high school social studies classes, affinity and minority groups, as well as civic groups throughout the state.
Speakers will be trained on the following content and given sample presentations that highlight:
- The overall structure of the court systems in Ohio
- The difference between state and federal courts
- Which types of cases are handled in which courts
- Pros and cons of selecting judges
- Why we need fair and impartial courts
- Challenges and opportunities facing Ohio’s justice system
- What the public can do to improve our courts
Estimated time commitment for speakers
Training 2 (2.0 hrs) - Curriculum review and presentation practice
At least ONE presentation per year (approximately 1 hour plus preparation and travel time): Trained speakers are expected to commit to present the Fair Courts Curriculum at least once a year. Speakers are welcome to present more than once per year. Presentations may vary in length and subject matter.
Why does Ohio need the Fair Courts Speakers Bureau?
The Fair Courts Speakers Bureau was created to provide public education about our judiciary.
Since 2015, the Ohio Fair Courts Alliance has convened 10 community meetings and statewide forums to discuss what people think of the courts and to determine what reforms would strengthen the independence of our judiciary. We heard many testimonials that echoed the 2014 Ohio Judicial Elections Survey, in which half of respondents admitted they seldom vote in judicial elections, and a majority said they did not vote because they did not know enough about the candidates. For this reason, we have identified public education as our entry point to connect with everyday Ohioans and to demonstrate the importance of fair courts for our democracy.
Ultimately, we are striving to spark more awareness of the importance of judicial elections and to inspire activism to make our justice system more fair for all.
About the Ohio Fair Courts Alliance
We are a diverse set of organization leaders and community members who have teamed up to explore ways to make our system of justice more fair for all Ohioans. Founding members of the Ohio Fair Courts Alliance include: Common Cause Ohio, Dayton NAACP, Greater Cleveland Congregations, Ohio Voice and the Ohio Environmental Council.
More information
For more information, contact Camille Wimbish at camille@ohvoice.org