Reno Hosts Training for 20 New Family Judges

Twenty judges from across the country are attending a weeklong course on juvenile and family court in Reno this week.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Criminal Justice

Photograph of a plain tan stone and stucco civic building under clear desert sky, with empty plaza and distant Sierra foothills. — Twenty newly appointed and returning judges from across the country are attending a weeklong juvenile and family court training in Reno this week. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Twenty new judges from across the country are in Reno this week for a weeklong training on juvenile and family court. The program, the Institute for New Juvenile and Family Court Judges, is held semiannually and serves judges new to the bench or returning to the division.

Why it matters

Law schools rarely cover the complex and sensitive issues family court judges face daily, making specialized training a key step for judges entering this division. The program draws on judges, doctors, psychologists, and educators to address those gaps.

Twenty judges are enrolled in the weeklong course this week, with most sessions held in Reno. The extraction does not report outcomes or certification results from the training.

The players

National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges

The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges is a nonprofit organization based in Reno that provides training and research for judges handling juvenile and family cases.

Gayl Branum Carr

Gayl Branum Carr is a former president of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges who leads the Institute for New Juvenile and Family Court Judges program.

The details

The Institute for New Juvenile and Family Court Judges trains judges new to the bench or returning to the juvenile and family court division. The weeklong course covers leadership, judicial ethics, child welfare, juvenile delinquency, domestic violence, and the role of a judge, led by Judge Gayl Branum Carr.

This week: twenty new judges attend the weeklong training in Reno.

Legal Context

The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, headquartered in Reno, anchors this semiannual training for judges entering the juvenile and family division. The course addresses child welfare, juvenile delinquency, and domestic violence, areas where judges often lack formal preparation from law school.

Families involved in juvenile and family court cases in Reno may see judges who have completed this specialized training. The course focuses on child welfare and domestic violence, issues that directly affect households moving through the family court system.

The takeaway

Specialized training gives family court judges tools for sensitive cases that standard legal education does not cover. Residents and families should understand that judges in this division receive targeted preparation for child welfare and domestic violence matters.