Judge Leslie G. Johnson is retired as the Director of the Mississippi Judicial College, a position which he has held from July 1992 until July 2006. Prior to assuming directorship of the college, Honorable Leslie G. Johnson served as Administrative Director of Courts for the State of Alabama. He served the State of Alabama as Circuit Judge for fourteen years and prior to that he served as deputy district attorney for six years. He received his B.A. degree from Vanderbilt University, his M.S. in Criminal Justice from the University of Alabama, his Juris Doctor from Cumberland School of Law, Samford University, and his LL.M. from the University of Mississippi. Judge Johnson also served as the Director of the American Academy of Judicial Education from April 1997 to February 2003 and served as Director of Off-Campus Programming for the National Judicial College from February 2003 to October 2005.
Judge John Lineberger
Judge John R. Lineberger is a retired state trial judge for the 4th Chancery Circuit of Arkansas, having served in that capacity from 1975 to 2001. He has been engaged in the private practice of law, has served as a public defender and as director of the Criminal Procedure Institute at the University of Arkansas. He received his B.S., B.A. and J.D. degrees from the University of Arkansas. While in law school, he was editor-in-chief of the Arkansas Law Review. He is co-author of the Arkansas Law Enforcement Officers Criminal Procedure Manual. Judge Lineberger is a member of the Washington County Bar Association, the Arkansas Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the National College of Probate Judges. He is a past president of the Arkansas Judicial Council, and served as a member of the board of directors of the Blue Ridge Institute of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. He also served as a delegate to the National Conference of State Trial Court Judges; co-chair of the Arkansas Commission on Women and Minorities in the Legal Profession; and as a member of the Ethics and Grievance Committee of the Arkansas Bar Association. He is a recipient of the Golden Gavel Awards by the Arkansas Bar Association and the Community Service Awards by the Arkansas Judicial Council. He joined the NJC faculty in 1983; served as charter member of the National Judicial College Faculty Council and as its chair in 1993 and 1994. In 1999, he was the recipient of the V. Robert Payant Award for teaching excellence
Justice Cornelia (Connie) Clark
Justice Clark was appointed to the Tennessee Supreme Court in September, 2005. From May 1999 to September 2005, she was as the Director of the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts, where she served as the chief administrative officer of the state court system. From 1989 to 1999, she served as Circuit Judge the 21st Judicial District, where she heard both civil and criminal cases. From 1979 to 1989, she practiced law in Nashville. She also taught high school history and government for four years.
Justice Clark received her B.A. degree from Vanderbilt University, her M.A.T. degree from Harvard University, and a Doctor of Jurisprudence Degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law, where she was a member of the Law Review Editorial Board.
Justice Clark currently chairs the Tennessee Judicial Council. She previously served as a member of the Board of Directors of Conference of State Court Administrators. In 2004, she was named one of the 21 members of the ABA Commission on the American Jury, which is dedicated to educating the public about and reinvigorating the nation's commitment to jury service. Clark also currently serves as a faculty member for the National Judicial College. She served for ten yars as an adjunct professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Law. As a trial judge she served as Vice-President of the Tennessee Judicial Conference and Dean of the Tennessee Judicial Academy. She also chaired the Judicial Evaluation Commission, and was a member of the Supreme Court Commissions on the Rules of Civil Procedure and Technology.
In May 2005, Clark was the recipient of the Liberty Bell Award given for the first time by the Williamson County, Tennessee Bar Association. This award recognizes persons who have: promoted better understanding of the rule of law; encouraged a greater respect for the law and the courts; stimulated a sense of civic responsibility; and contributed to good government in the community.
Kay S. Palmer
For 21 years, Ms. Palmer was the director of judicial branch education for the Administrative Office of the Courts of the Arkansas Supreme Court. In that position she was responsible for activities involving the continuing education of appellate judges, circuit judges, district judges, appellate staff, case coordinators, official court reporters, district court clerks, city court clerks, and district court probation officers. She is currently employed by the Arkansas District Judges Council as their executive director.
Ms. Palmer has a Bachelor’s Degree in Speech and Drama from Henderson State University and a Masters of Arts in Interpersonal and Organizational Communication from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She has taught at the secondary and college level and is currently an adjunct instructor of Public Speaking at National Park Community College in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Ms. Palmer has worked on numerous national projects involving the design of curriculum and development of programs on topics including domestic violence, privatization of court records, court futures, driving while intoxicated, improving access to courts, customer service, mediation, and judicial ethics. She is a member of the faculty of the National Judicial College and has taught officials and employees of the judicial branch at both state and national programs. She is currently completing her requirements to be a certified mediator. Ms. Palmer has served as president of the National Association of State Judicial Educators. She currently resides in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas.
Judge Robert P. Ruehlman
Judge Robert P. Ruehlman is presently serving as the Presiding Judge of the Hamilton County Common Plea Court in Cincinnati, Ohio. He has held this position since 1996. Before becoming a presiding judge, Judge Ruehlman served the Common Pleas Court as a judge since 1987. Prior to sitting on the bench, Judge Ruehlman served Hamilton County, Ohio in serveral different position dating back to 1977. He was a Hamilton County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for 1 year in the Juvenile Divison. He later served in the Criminal Division of the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office fro six years. He later became the chief assistant prosecuting attorney in 1984 and served Hamilton County for 3 years in that capacity. He received his B.S. degree from the University of Cincinnati and his Juris Doctor from the University of Cincinnati - College of Law. Judge Ruehlman has served an instructor for the University of Cincinnati, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and for the National Judicial College.
Judge Jack F. Nevin
Judge Jack F. Nevin is a Pierce County District Court Judge. Prior to his appointment in January of 1997 Judge Nevin served as a deputy prosecuting attorney in Pierce County. During his twelve years with that office he practiced in a wide range of areas including prosecution of white-collar crime, homicides and asset forfeiture. He represented the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys in drafting Washington States first Real Property Forfeiture Statute and also represented WAPA by Amicus Brief before the Washington State Supreme Court. During his last four years he represented county agencies, primarily law enforcement, in civil litigation.
Judge Nevin has lectured nationally in the area of asset forfeiture for the National District Attorneys Association, the National Association of Attorneys General, American Prosecutors Research Institute, Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission and various state prosecutor organizations He currently serves as a faculty member for the Washington State Judicial College where he teaches Evidence, Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, Defense Institute of International Legal Studies and the National Institute of Trial Advocacy.
Judge Nevin has taught on the undergraduate and graduate level for approximately twenty-five years. He currently serves as an Adjunct Professor of Trial Advocacy at the Seattle University School of Law. Judge Nevin has authored numerous articles in subjects ranging from military retirement benefits as community property to police civil liability and asset forfeiture.
Judge Paul E. Hamre
Judge Paul E. Hamre is the Chief Judge of Van Buren County Family, District and Circuit Courts. In 1974, he received his B.A. in Political Science from Kalamazoo College and in 1976, he received his Masters Degree in Political Science from Western Michigan University. Judge Hamre received his J.D. in 1981 from Thomas Cooley Law School. After 15 years of private law practice, Judge Hamre was elected as circuit court judge in 1996. In 1997, Judge Hamre was appointed as the first Family Court Judge in Michigan by the Michigan Supreme Court. From 2004-2006, Judge Hamre served as the Michigan Judges Association Domestic Relations Committee Chairman. He is a member of the Michigan Judges Association Court Rules Committee and is an executive board member of the Michigan Judges Association.
Faculty Members
Judge Leslie G. Johnson 
Judge John Lineberger 
Kay S. Palmer 
