HUMAN RESOURCES

Staff Highlights

The Court hired 56 staff in 2011, bringing the Court’s total number of employees to 372. The total includes the hiring of 21 temporary generalist clerks, selected from an applicant pool of over 150 candidates, who have been assigned across the district. There were 47 promotions throughout the Court.

Of the new hires, 35 employees (62 percent) were in the 21 to 30 age range, seven employees (13 percent) were in the 31 to 40 age range, eight employees (14 percent) were in the 41 to 50 age range, and six employees (11 percent) were 51 or older. Employees under 40 make up the largest percentage of Court staff (35 percent). Employees over 50 are second at 33 percent, and employees in the 41-50 age range make up the remaining 32 percent. In addition to the new hires, Central District judges were aided by 135 judicial externs, who each spent one semester with the Court.

2011 Annual Awards Ceremonies Held

Annual awards ceremonies were held in each of the five divisional offices during September. Chief Judge Peter H. Carroll, Clerk of Court Kathleen J. Campbell, and members of the executive team attended the ceremonies to acknowledge staff for their dedication and hard work over the previous year. Staff members were recognized with Length of Service and Special Service Awards.

Paths to Success Program Continues to Develop Leadership in Court Staff

The Paths to Success program continued to offer the Court’s aspiring leaders the opportunity to develop leadership and technical skills. The participants completed several self-study leadership training modules, and attended a special class facilitated by faculty from UCLA Extension entitled “Creating Quality Leadership.” Participants also spent time developing their technical skills, learning about other departments at the Court, or learning other functions of their own departments. By gaining these additional skills, participants in the program are contributing to a higher-performing and more versatile workforce, and preparing themselves for potential future roles.

Court Hosts Ninth Circuit Human Resources Conference

This year, for the first time, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California had the honor of hosting the Ninth Circuit Human Resources (HR) Conference. The conference, which took place from September 21-23 in Anaheim, California, is typically hosted by a different court every other year. The theme of this year’s conference was “Riding the Wave of Change.”

Clerk of Court Kathleen J. Campbell and Chief Judge Peter H. Carroll welcomed over 140 HR employees and unit executives representing District and Bankruptcy Courts, the Federal Public Defender (FPD), Probation, and Pretrial Services. Conference attendees traveled from 17 states and the District of Columbia, representing courts in four circuits (Fifth, Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth), the Office of the Ninth Circuit Executive, the Administrative Office (AO), and the Federal Judicial Center (FJC).

Participants attended a variety of presentations, panel discussions, and breakout sessions, focusing on ways to address staffing budget shortfalls, update HR policies, take advantage of HR technologies, and enhance staff skills and overall morale. At the end of the workday, Judge Erithe A. Smith and the Santa Ana Z-Krew closed out the conference with an inspiring demonstration of several Zumba fitness routines.

Gateway Leadership Program Launched

During October, the Court launched a new educational leadership series, the Gateway Leadership Program. This program is a comprehensive nine-month program for staff in leadership roles. The goal of the program is to build upon management’s expertise and enhance its leadership acumen. In 2011, course topics included Equal Employment Opportunity and Employee Dispute Resolution Plan Modifications, Leading with Change Management, and Developing High Performing Teams.

Performance Management

During the month of September, Clerk’s Office supervisors held performance appraisal review sessions with staff. The Court’s Performance Management Policy and Procedure is designed to clarify the Court’s performance standards and expectations to staff, and to increase communication between supervisors and team members, with the ultimate goal of enabling staff to serve the public both effectively and efficiently.

CACB Virtual University

During October, Court staff throughout the Central District were introduced to the CACB Virtual University. The Virtual University provides a single portal that allows staff to search and register for all training classes offered by the Court. It also allows them to review their transcripts from previous classes. The Virtual University consists of five “colleges”: General Education College, Operations College, Administration College, Leadership and Management College, and National Courses. The Virtual University was implemented in response to the Clerk’s Office 2010 survey, which revealed that 40 percent of staff had a desire for more training opportunities.

Law Clerk/Extern Training

In 2011, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court provided training to 143 law clerks and externs, with 69 percent coming from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court (98 participants) and the remainder from the U.S. District Court (45 participants). It was the first full year that Judge Deborah J. Saltzman and her staff sponsored the program. Training attendance increased 38 percent over 2010, and participants rated the course a strong 4.46 on a five-point scale.

Chambers Staff Receive Westlaw and Lexis Training

In April and June, the Los Angeles Division hosted Westlaw and Lexis training for judges and law clerks of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and U.S. District Court. The training was facilitated by the Ninth Circuit Librarian along with representatives from Westlaw and Lexis. The sessions reviewed legal skills and methods of accessing online legal library resources. Each session featured a presentation by a Westlaw or Lexis representative who demonstrated online research tools and techniques. Sessions were followed by a Ninth Circuit Library staff presentations about law library subscriptions and other resources available to chambers staff.