HUMAN RESOURCES AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Staff Development Department Holds Training Courses and Programs

In 2014, the Staff Development Department offered over 75 training courses and programs. A total of 2,543 student seats were filled across the five divisions. Classroom training was offered on desktop applications at all divisions. The sessions were conducted remotely, through WebEx to ensure staff members in all divisions received the same training at a reduced cost. Annual programs offered included Paths to Success Leadership Development Program, Law Clerk/Extern Training, IT Security Training, and the Winter Education Seminar. Outside of the Court, through shared services, classes were offered at U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of California, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Washington, U.S. Bankruptcy for the District of Alaska, and the National Conference of Bankruptcy Clerks.

Winter Education Seminar: "Transition through Innovation"

The 2014 Winter Education Seminar, “Transition through Innovation,” was held on December 12, 2014 at the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Los Angeles. Presentations educated court staff about the new property management system, Judicial Inventory Control System (JICS), accomplishments in IT, and updates on For The Record (FTR) Gold, Electronic Self-Representation (eSR), and Debtor Electronic Bankruptcy Noticing (DeBN). Chief Judge Peter H. Carroll and Executive Officer/Clerk of Court Kathleen J. Campbell addressed the staff. Graduation certificates were presented to the Paths to Success Leadership Development Program students. Also, the 2014 Best Performance Awards were given to various divisions and departments throughout the Court.

2014 Annual Awards Ceremony

The 2014 Annual Awards Ceremonies, held at all five divisions during September, honored Clerk’s Office employees throughout the Central District for outstanding service to the public and dedication to the Court. Chief Judge Peter H. Carroll and Executive Officer/Clerk of Court Kathleen J. Campbell praised the staff’s hard work in their opening remarks, and Chief Deputy of Administration Steven A. Sloniker reviewed the many impressive tasks the Clerk’s Office accomplished during the 2014 fiscal year. These included the publication of the Strategic Plan; sharing resources and earning supplemental funding through the Shared Administrative Services program; training employees through the Paths to Success Leadership Development Program and Passing the Baton courses; converting paper records into digital records through the Records Management Project; piloting the paper-saving Debtor Electronic Bankruptcy Noticing (DeBN) program; becoming the first court in the nation to launch Electronic Self-Representation (eSR); updating the Court’s petition packages to make them more user-friendly; rolling out Case Management Assist (CMA), Auto Closing, and the new online chat feature; and remaining on schedule with the ongoing Roybal Realignment Project.

Length of service awards recognized employees and judges who had reached milestones in their careers in government service. Staff members who had distinguished themselves by exceptional work during the past fiscal year received special service awards.

Law Clerk/Extern Training Program

In 2014, the Court held three Law Clerk/Extern training sessions in the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Los Angeles. More than 150 participants attended, including participants from the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The training program is designed to provide bankruptcy knowledge and other relevant information to chambers staff and future members of the bar. Judges Barry Russell, Alan M. Ahart, Sheri Bluebond, Deborah J. Saltzman, and Scott C. Clarkson each spoke about a different aspect of bankruptcy.

Following the judges’ presentations, a panel of current law clerks discussed “Chambers Survival Tips (including Social Media),” a U.S. Courts assistant librarian provided a brief introduction of the law library and legal resources available at the Court, and a law clerk alumni panel closed the program with a lively discussion of “Transitioning to Private Practice.”

Court Hosts Sovereign Citizen Training

Staff members from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District Court, and Probation Office for the Central District of California attended a training session about the sovereign citizen movement. The training, conducted by staff from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and U.S. Marshals Service, provided an overview of sovereign citizens, their ideology, and basic tactics utilized. Participants also built competencies in handling situations in the courtroom, as well as the intake window, when sovereign citizens are present. The Court continues to work with the U.S. Marshals Service to ensure the safety of all parties and the fair administration of justice.

African American Heritage Month

On February 28, 2014, the Los Angeles and Riverside Divisions celebrated African American History Month. In Los Angeles, members of the Judiciary gathered at the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse to attend the “50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act” program, led by Law Professor Devon W. Carbado from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. At the conclusion of the program, attendees were invited to a catered reception in the lobby of the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse. Contemporaneously, the Riverside Division held a dynamic discussion about the significance of African clothing and celebrated with soul food to commemorate the occasion.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Pride Month

Los Angeles federal agencies, including the U.S. District Court and Bankruptcy Court, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Federal Bureau of Prisons, and Federal Public Defender celebrated the second annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ) Pride Month on June 13, 2014 at Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse. Dr. Joseph Hawkins, an anthropology professor of LGBTQ studies at the University of Southern California (USC) and the director of the USC Libraries’ ONE Archives, discussed the evolution of the gay community in Los Angeles.

Celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

On May 21, 2014, members of the Clerk’s Office staff attended a celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month hosted by the Diversity Committee of the Federal Public Defender’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Attendees from various agencies were on hand to listen to former Assistant U.S. Attorney and current Superior Court Judge Lawrence Cho.

Judge Cho regaled the audience with stories and memories from his childhood and of the various experiences of his parents and grandparents as they left their homeland in China to seek a new life in the United States. At the end of his message, Judge Cho urged the audience to go home and ask their parents, grandparents, and other relatives to tell them a story, any story; because the greatest gifts that someone can pass to future generations are experiences and memories. In addition to Judge Cho’s remarks, guests also enjoyed a variety of Asian American Pacific Islander cuisine, including dumplings, noodles, egg rolls, and desserts.

St Patrick's Day Celebration in Santa Ana

On March 17, 2014, Judge Theodor C. Albert hosted a St. Patrick’s Day celebration at the Santa Ana Division. The judges, Executive Officer/Clerk of Court Kathleen J. Campbell, special guest retired Judge James Barr, members of the chambers staff and Clerk’s Office staff, and other guests donned their green to celebrate the day in style. They brought with them their best Irish accents, favorite Irish jokes and blessings to read, their appetites, and their thirst. Each year, guests are treated to Muldoon’s famous Irish soda bread with Irish butter and jam, homemade cookies, cheese, and crackers, and other Irish delicacies. Prizes were given for any “wearin’ of the green,” best reading of a Irish blessing or joke, and guessing which famous Irish person an employee was for the day. The participants were all winners of some very Irish (or green) prizes.

Benefits and Wellness Awareness Campaign

As part of the Benefits and Wellness Awareness Campaign, and as a prequel to the upcoming 2015 Benefits Open Season, the Human Resources Department offered the use of Kaiser’s BioMeasure System to interested employees. Kaiser presented the BioMeasure System, a freestanding device that accurately measures weight, height, and body fat percentage. It then instantly calculates recommended body mass index, weight, body fat percentage, and fat mass in pounds. Each person who used it immediately received a printout with their results. Participating employees were advised to check their progress each week. Due to high demand from other federal agencies, the BioMeasure System was only scheduled in the Los Angeles, Santa Ana, Riverside, and San Fernando Valley Divisions.

Human Resources Hosts 2014 Benefits, Health, and Safety Fair

On November 5, 2014, the Human Resources Department hosted the 2014 Benefits Open Season and Safety Fair. The fair was attended by over 800 employees from various federal agencies in the Central District, including the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, U.S. District Court, U.S. Pretrial Services, U.S. Probation Office, Internal Revenue Service, Homeland Security, and NASA. Attendees were able to get answers to questions relating to their own health, dental, and vision plans and other benefits. The fair was also an opportunity for employees to learn about changes and new options directly from their providers’ representatives. Additionally, a representative from the California Highway Patrol provided various safety tips. The health care professionals from Federal Occupational Health also provided attendees with a free wellness check-up.

Centers of Excellence

On March 24, 2014, all members of the Centers of Excellence met in the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse’s general assembly room to discuss updates and upcoming projects. In 2014, the Center of Excellence (CoE) for Communication merged into the CoE for Employee Engagement. Given workforce planning initiatives, merging the two teams into one better aligned their efforts and reduced redundancies, since many communication-related efforts fell within the realm of keeping employees engaged in the workforce. All CoE members, including those of the CoE for Process Improvement, discussed the projects they were working on and ways to improve the CoE. Projects undertaken in 2014 included an operations manual wiki, streamlining the paper process to reduce unnecessary printing, training staff on court documents and their impact/use, archiving data, and dictionary scrub project to remove or update codes.

In June 2014, the CoE for Process Improvement and Employee Engagement/Communication met with their respective groups to discuss the projects they are working on and ways to improve the CoE. The CoE for Process Improvement continues to look at modifications to various forms, while the Employee Engagement/Communication team launched another community outreach drive to benefit children in need of back-to-school supplies.

Paths to Success Leadership Development Program

The Paths to Success Leadership Development Program, designed for emerging leaders to develop their leadership and project management skills, was enhanced earlier this year to include career development. The 2013 – 2014 class, comprised of 18 members, completed Career Development Plans which helped them identify where they see their careers in five years. Since one of the goals of the program is to increase technical knowledge of how the Court functions, program participants chose a "path," or a department to which they wished to gain exposure.

A “Career Development Day” session was held in February 2014, during which attendees were given the opportunity to analyze their individual Career Development Plans and meet with various managers and supervisors throughout the Court to learn the different lines of business. Between June and July 2014, participants spent two full days visiting their selected department and learning about its functions via job shadowing, one-on-one training, and reviewing training manuals, if applicable. Job shadowing provided the participants a more well-rounded learning of the Court's processes and procedures. Participants were allowed to select the department in which they currently work (regarding duties they usually do not complete) or a different one altogether. Additionally, participants continued to complete several online modules, in-person training courses, and competency forms before graduating from the Paths to Success Leadership Development Program on December 12, 2014.

Passing the Baton

As court employees continue to retire, it is critical for the Court to have a plan in place to ensure that key positions have qualified internal applicants to whom it can “pass the baton.” The Court developed the Passing the Baton training program to provide participants with a refresher in core bankruptcy knowledge, primarily focusing on court operations and case management.

Launched in April 2014, the 18-month program offers team leaders, supervisors, and managers a learning session each month. Session topics include “Financial Management and Stewardship,” “Case Management and Calendaring Systems,” “Statistics and Information,” “Case Initiation – Special Programs for Self-Represented Litigants,” “Writs and Abstracts,” “Appeals Processing,” “Judicial Committees,” and “Legal Research.” The monthly learning sessions were facilitated by various subject-matter experts within the Clerk’s Office and chambers staff. This program is an excellent succession strategy for knowledge transfer and personal development, and is a significant component of the Court’s Strategic Plan Issue #3: Judiciary Workforce of the Future.

Riverside Staff Presented "Thumbs Up" Award

On March 28, 2014, Operations Manager Laurie Gaffney and Operations Supervisors Melissa English and Debra Eudy presented employees with a “Thumbs Up” award as a token of their appreciation. The presentation opened with the song “We Are the Champions” playing as Ms. Gaffney, Ms. English, and Ms. Eudy thanked the staff for all their hard work and effort in meeting the closing goals from December 2013 to February 2014—three months in a row.

Leanne O’Brien Goes to Washington

Facilities Project Coordinator Leanne O’Brien was selected for a temporary duty assignment in the Department of Administrative Services, Facilities and Security Office at the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO). Ms. O’Brien was assigned as a Space and Facilities Specialist to work on the “Thurgood Marshall Federal Judicial Building (TMFJB) and Court Operations Support Center’s Space Planning Project.”

Ms. O’Brien successfully competed for one of two coveted positions offered to judiciary employees nationwide. She began her new assignment on June 2, 2014 for a period not to exceed one year. The AO agreed to fully reimburse the Court for her service.

Executive Officer/Clerk of Court Accepted to the Judiciary Executive Leadership Program

In 2014, Executive Officer/Clerk of Court Kathleen J. Campbell was accepted to the Federal Judiciary Center’s Judiciary Executive Leadership Program (JELP). The 12-month program focuses on emerging leadership and management challenges, best organizational practices, and state-of-the-art thinking about organizational development. JELP aims to inspire experienced court unit executives to further develop their expertise and expose them to new ideas and best practices to improve their individual districts and/or circuits, and the Judiciary.

Federal Court Leadership Program

Self Help Desk Team Leader Sabrina Palacio-Garcia has completed the Federal Judicial Center’s (FJC's) two-year Federal Court Leadership Program (FCLP). During the week of July 21, 2014, she attended the FCLP’s Phase V workshop in Washington, D.C., which culminated in the program’s graduation ceremony.

Workshop participants wrote personal mission statements tied to their courts’ strategic plans, identified professional goals, and reviewed what they had learned about emotional intelligence. On a visit to the U.S. Supreme Court, workshop participants met with Chief Deputy Cynthia Rapp and took a guided tour of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Workshop sessions covered ethics and leadership in public administration, innovative uses of social media, and the relationship between leadership and emotional intelligence. Executive Officer/Clerk of Court Kathleen J. Campbell contributed to the workshop, speaking in the panel discussions “Morale and Motivation: Leading and Keeping Employees Engaged in Challenging Times,” “Leadership from a Clerk’s Perspective,” and “Defining the Future of Our Workplace.”

According to the FJC, course participants “develop research and writing skills, enhance problem-solving and decision-making skills, and build the leadership skills that would enhance [their] abilities to assume greater responsibility.” In the course of the program, Ms. Palacio-Garcia completed two projects: an analysis of the Court’s succession planning and an independent study about managing a multigenerational workforce.

Information Technology and Training Manager Padraic Keohane, Customer Service Representative Myeasha Miller, and Legal Analyst Jennifer Wright were accepted in the FCLP’s class of 2014 – 2016.

Voluntary Incentive Programs for Employee Separations (Buyouts)

In 2014, the Court requested and received approval from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO) to offer 12 buyouts and early retirements. The request for buyouts and early retirements was necessitated by the continuing serious funding challenges facing the Judiciary. These buyouts and early retirements helped the Court offset its budgetary shortfall.

Retirement Counseling Offered

From June 9 through June 17, 2014, the Court hosted an individual retirement counseling workshop for Ninth Circuit employees. An invitation was extended to all federal employees throughout the Central District who were eligible to retire between 2014 and 2017.

Retirement Counselors Henry Broitman and John McGrath from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO) provided individual retirement and benefits counseling to a total of 82 employees from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, U.S. District Court, Pretrial Services, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Ninth Circuit U.S. Courts Library. Mr. Broitman and Mr. McGrath received excellent reviews for their outstanding counseling services.

Chief Deputy of Operations Michael E. Rotberg Retires

Chief Deputy of Operations Michael E. Rotberg retired at the end of 2014 with over 40 years of federal service. Mr. Rotberg began his career at the Court in 1987 and served in a variety of positions over the years, including Acting Clerk of Court. Attorneys respected Mr. Rotberg for his knowledge and expertise and always enjoyed his informative statistical presentations at their bar association meetings. Judges could always count on him to have his facts and numbers straight. Mr. Rotberg’s staff respected his genuine and caring demeanor and his common sense approach to problem-solving. Mr. Rotberg worked diligently to serve the judges, lawyers, and citizens in the Central District. He was well loved for his dry wit, that distinctive New York accent, and his wise counsel. Mr. Rotberg left the Court a better place and he will be missed by all.

Nationwide Search for Chief Deputy of Operations

After Chief Deputy of Operations Michael E. Rotberg announced his retirement, the Court initiated a nationwide search for a new chief deputy in May 2014. On November 3, Executive Officer/Clerk of Court Kathleen J. Campbell announced the selection of Benjamin Varela as the Court’s new Chief Deputy Benjamin Varela of Operations. Mr. Varela brought to the position more than 18 years of bankruptcy experience in many areas of the Court. Since beginning his career with the Court as an Intake Clerk in 1996 in Los Angeles, Mr. Varela has held a variety of progressively responsible positions in operations. Since 2002, he served as the Operations Manager at the Santa Ana Division, working with supervisors and team leaders to ensure that the work of the division was carried out efficiently and professionally. Mr. Varela began transitioning immediately and replaced Mr. Rotberg upon his retirement.