American Judicature Society is dissolving; problems with 'membership model' cited
After 101 years of operation, the American Judicature Society is dissolving.
The AJS Board of Directors voted on Tuesday to dissolve the fair-courts organization and wind up its affairs, according to a press release.
The group’s president, Tom Leighton, cited a challenging “membership model” for nonprofits, including AJS, in the press release. The National Center for State Courts is expected to take over the American Judicature Society’s Center for Judicial Ethics, and homes are being sought for the group’s peer-reviewed journal Judicature and its Internet resource on judicial selection in the states.
“The American Judicature Society has fought to improve and preserve the fairness, impartiality and effectiveness of our justice system for 101 years as a member-based entity,” Leighton said in the press release.
“However, in the last several years, the membership model has become more challenging for many nonprofit organizations around the country, including AJS. At the same time, new nonprofit entities with organizational and financial structures more suited to the times have joined AJS in the fight. The American Judicature Society’s Board of Directors decided that rather than operate on a limited scale, and rather than duplicate the excellent work of other similar entities, AJS should find new homes for its core functions.”
Justice at Stake executive director Bert Brandenburg issued a statement saying AJS has fought to keep courts strong, fair and independent. “We are very sad to see the organization close,” he said, “but its legacy will inspire all of us who work to keep courts fair and free of political influence.”
