Bolch Judicial Institute

We’re hiring! The Bolch Judicial Institute at Duke Law is seeking a Staff Assistant to provide administrative and operational support for the Institute’s programs, publications, communications, and leadership activities.

We’re looking for a highly organized, service-oriented professional who enjoys working collaboratively and supporting work that strengthens the judiciary and advances the rule of law.

Learn more and apply:
https://loom.ly/SiWqoVI

A new edition of Judicature International arrives just in time for the International Day of Judicial Well-Being, marked annually on July 25. (For many of our readers, the day has already begun.)

Inside:

• Carly Schrever examines how stress, satisfaction, and professional identity can change across different stages of a judicial career, drawing on interviews with 59 Australian judges and magistrates.

• A new research brief highlights findings from a national study of Canada’s federally appointed judges, including the effects of workload, safety concerns, court resources, and self-represented litigation on judicial well-being.

• The July 2026 roundup of global judicial news.

Read the new edition:
🔗 https://bolchjudicialinstitute.createsend1.com/t/t-e-wuykyjk-l-jk/

Subscribe to receive future editions:
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What can the teach us about judicial independence and the rule of law?

In a new essay for the Bolch Judicial Institute’s , Director Kim Mueller reflects on the responsibility shared by referees and judges: they are not there to satisfy a crowd, but rather to apply the rules fairly — even in the face of criticism.

Disagreement and criticism remain essential to healthy institutions. But, Mueller writes, there is an important difference between questioning a decision and rejecting the legitimacy of the institution entrusted to make it.

Read “When the Final Call Must Stand”:
https://judicialstudies.duke.edu/2026/07/when-the-final-call-must-stand/

When the Final Call Must Stand | Judicial Independence Kim Mueller considers what soccer’s final whistle can teach us about judicial independence, fair process, and respecting lawful outcomes.

Our spring/summer newsletter is here, featuring news and updates from across the Institute.

Inside, you’ll find a letter from Director Kim Mueller, along with stories about the 2026 Bolch Prize, new leadership, and remembrances of two visionary philanthropists — our co-founder Carl Bolch Jr. and longtime Duke Law supporter Stanley A. Star.

Read the latest edition: https://createsend.com/t/t-F6AE9F15956662192540EF23F30FEDED

Subscribe to receive future newsletters: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/t/B9E3F683197BD79A

From the Judicature Archive: Judicial Well-Being

Ahead of the International Day for Judicial Well-being on July 25, we are revisiting articles from the Judicature archive that explore mental health, wellness, workplace pressures, and related issues affecting judges and court personnel.

In “Mindfulness and Judging,” Jeremy Fogel examines how judges respond under pressure. Judging, he writes, often takes place in environments “infused with passions that can confound the detached rationality with which decisions — at least in theory — are supposed to be made.”

Even experienced judges can recall moments when “the emotional impact of the situation made thoughtful reflection difficult or impossible.” Fogel presents mindfulness as one way to create space between reaction and decision — helping judges notice more, question initial impressions, and act with greater reflection.

🔗 Read “Mindfulness and Judging”: https://judicature.duke.edu/articles/mindfulness-and-judging/

Mindfulness and Judging | Judicature Judges, as our title implies, make judgments. Sometimes the process of making a judgment is straightforward, as when clearly written statute plainly applies to undisputed facts. But more often, the meaning or applicability of a statute requires interpretation, or factual disputes can be resolved onl...

A new USA TODAY article follows a bipartisan group of sitting and retired judges as they travel through Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan on the Justice in Motion bus tour, funded by nonpartisan pro-civic engagement groups Democracy Rising Collaborative and Keep Our Republic.

Along the way, they met with students, lawyers, civic groups, and community members to talk about judicial independence, public trust in the courts, and the role judges play in our constitutional system.

Reporter Sarah D. Wire, who was given access to the tour bus, offers an interesting look not only at the judges’ conversations with people in the communities they visited, but also at the interactions among the judges themselves.

“I’m hopeful that other people will be inspired to do things similar to this,” retired Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Ron Adrine said. “A march of a thousand judges takes a single judge to start.”

Read the article: https://loom.ly/9S2gni4

A road trip to save democracy? These judges say it's worth a shot Bipartisan judges are touring the Midwest to warn citizens about the dangers of a politicized judiciary.

Stanley A. Star ’61, who passed away on May 29, leaves behind a legacy of generosity, leadership, and service that continues to shape Duke Law School and the Bolch Judicial Institute.

Together with his wife, Elizabeth A. Star, Stanley helped strengthen Duke Law over many decades through support for students, faculty, and the broader life of the school.

At the Bolch Judicial Institute, that legacy lives on through the Stanley A. Star and Elizabeth A. Star Rule of Law Fund, established in 2025 to honor the Stars’ longstanding commitment to Duke Law and to support work that protects and advances the rule of law and judicial independence in the United States and abroad.

Read more: https://loom.ly/c8Ha0Is

Remembering Stanley A. Star ’61 and His Legacy of Generosity Stanley A. Star ’61 is remembered through the Rule of Law Fund, which sustains his legacy of generosity and support for Duke Law’s rule of law work.

The June 2026 edition of Judicature International is here — with a refreshed look.

“This month’s issue examines a recent U.S. advisory opinion addressing when judges may speak publicly — and when they should not — in an increasingly complex media environment,” writes Michelle Kaminsky, managing editor of Judicature International. “The opinion was also a focal point of a recent Bolch Judicial Institute seminar, part of our ongoing reporting on how courts are navigating these pressures.”

Read the feature and explore the full June 2026 edition, including the monthly Global Judicial News roundup, with headlines and resources on important developments affecting courts around the world.

Read the edition: https://loom.ly/1xoq3Ts
Subscribe: https://loom.ly/q4rhsm0

Judicature International - New Edition Welcome to the refreshed look of Judicature International: a streamlined format focused on developments shaping courts and the rule of law globally.