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Evidence is to the law what anatomy is to medicine. Evidence can be the most important part of a trial. It can either convict the accused or set them free. It can settle contested issues or end personal injury disputes. It can end a marriage or remove children from unsafe homes. You, as judge, preside over not only the parties involved but the evidence. That’s why evidence is always the Texas Center’s most frequently requested judicial education topic. With that background, you can see why we are so excited about the 2008 Evidence Summit, to be held August 3-5, 2008 at the Sheraton Hotel in Austin. This first-ever two-day judicial education event brings together Texas judges and Texas law schools as judicial teams from across the state compete for the title of 2008 Evidence Summit champions. HOW WILL THE EVIDENCE SUMMIT WORK?Each of the nine Texas law schools has agreed to host one hour of “Evidence Jeopardy.” Each law school host team will consist of the law school dean (or his/her designate), an evidence professor, and a judge alumna/alumnus of the school’s choosing. Teams of 10-15 judges will compete to answer 25 questions from each area of evidence. More specifically, each law school dean will read a selected question and each judicial team will use electronic transponders to lock in their answer. The selected answers will appear on the screen and participants will see how many teams selected the “correct” response. The law school panel will validate the correct response and offer explanation. Each judicial team will receive points for every correct answer. After all nine games, team points will be totaled again and the 2008 Evidence Summit winners will be announced. Grand prizes will be awarded to the winning team. Based on previous judicial jeopardy experience, we anticipate fierce judicial competition! WHO CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE EVIDENCE SUMMIT?Texas Center for the Judiciary has funds for 125-150 judges to attend the Evidence Summit. There will be six hours of continuing judicial/legal education on the first day of the summit and three hours on the second day. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. WANT TO GET A HEADSTART ON THE COMPETITION?The Curriculum Committee held an impartial drawing to determine an area of evidence for each law school. If you want to dust off those law books and bone up on recent case law (hint, hint), then you might want to study these areas: relevancy, hearsay, hearsay exceptions, contents of writings, expert witnesses, non-expert witnesses, authentication and identification, and objections. WANT TO LEARN AND HAVE FUN? WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU IN AUGUST!The key word at the 2008 Evidence Summit will be PARTICIPATION. There’s nothing like team energy to bring out the best in a group of judges. Judges of all experience and jurisdictional levels can expect to find camaraderie while learning in a motivated, spirited environment. Test your wealth of judicial knowledge and wisdom. Join us for the 2008 Evidence Summit. For more information on the Evidence Summit, contact Anissa Vila, Program Attorney
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