2023 Traynor Moot Court

 

The 2023 Traynor Moot Court took place this weekend (virtually), with Justices Perluss and Bendix again serving as final-round judges. The program listing all 12 law schools in the competition, the individual competitors, judges, and awardees is here. 

Today's DJ has PJ Gilbert's column, March is the Cruelest (Cruellest) Month, an "opportunity to remember and celebrate ... the remarkable life of [his] colleague and friend, Justice Norman Epstein."

And today's DJ has Myron Moskovitz's Judging Bad Guys. Part IV: A real world example, discussing the famous "Christian Burial" case (Brewer v. Williams (1977) 431 U.S. 925).

The DJ also has California courts spent nearly half-billion dollars on court reporters, but that’s not enough, noting:

During the 2021-22 fiscal year, courts employed 1,295 court reporters at an average salary of almost $95,000. The Los Angeles County court, with 395 court reporters, spent nearly $70 million on court reporter salaries and benefits. San Diego County employed the next-highest number with 90 court reporters with salaries and benefits totaling nearly $17 million.

Expenditures on court reporter transcripts also rose from the 2020-21 fiscal year, going from $12.5 million to $18.4 million. The approximate share of these expenditures per full-time equivalent court reporter rose from $8,678 to $12,768.

Despite these rising figures, California continues to struggle with a shortage of court reporters. Los Angeles County, for example, currently has 47 open positions.