Third Branch eNews

Judges and judicial assistants from the Seventh Judicial Administrative District convened in Mauston on May 9 for a full-day training session, discussion, and statewide updates. The district meeting, held at the Juneau County Department of Human Services building, brought together circuit court judges, court staff, and committee representatives for a wide-ranging agenda.

Tyler Brandt from Court Operations opened the session with a presentation on backlog data, highlighting trends across the district and ongoing challenges related to attorney availability. Emily Loman from the Director of State Courts Office followed with an overview of Act 235 and its implementation.

Deputy Chief Judge Todd Ziegler shared updates on the Court User Feedback project, which recently completed pilot work in La Crosse and Monroe counties. Chief Judge Scott Horne reported on several initiatives, including the La Crosse County SIM mapping project, current mental health efforts, and ongoing work related to legislative changes and reserve judge policy.

While judges met across the street, judicial assistants held their first regional training session at the Juneau County Justice Center. Organized by a team of judicial assistants from across the district, the session drew strong attendance and received overwhelmingly positive feedback. Krista Miller from Court Operations led a session on distinguishing legal information from legal advice, and a team from CCAP provided practical tips for using CCAP calendars, Microsoft Teams, and Outlook more efficiently.

The planning team included Lisa Hinker (Clark County), Jessie Knapp and Sara Hullermann (Grant County), Ashley Berg (Trempealeau County), and Chris Woggon (Juneau County). Based on the response, planners anticipate making the training an annual event.