2005
William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence
The
Honorable Louraine C. Arkfeld
Presiding
Judge of the Tempe Municipal Court
Tempe,
Arizona
“Judge
Arkfeld’s strong leadership style, accomplished judicial abilities, and her
highly regarded professional ethics have proven to make a tremendous difference
for the courts in Arizona –
and for the judiciary as a whole.”
-- Mary C. McQueen, NCSC President
Tempe Arizona Municipal Court Judge Louraine
C. Arkfeld has been named recipient of the 2005 William H. Rehnquist Award for
Judicial Excellence by the National Center
for State Courts.
In its nomination letter, the City Council
of Tempe cited Arkfeld’s work in taking over the Tempe Municipal Court, which
had long been in crisis, as a testament to her professional ethics and
integrity. “For the last 11 years, Judge Arkfeld has taken a dysfunctional
court and made it one of the best limited jurisdiction courts in the state,”
members of the Council said. Their words were echoed by the Arizona Supreme
Court, whose members praised Arkfeld’s “holistic” approach to the court.
City Council noted that “One of the
hallmarks of Judge Arkfeld’s tenure with the court has been her innovative
approach to problem solving both within the court and the community.” Indeed,
she has addressed the needs of Tempe’s
special populations through problem-solving courts, establishing Arizona’s
first limited jurisdiction mental health court. She also has been lauded for her
work in court interpretation, use of technology to improve court operations,
judicial accountability and education, and improvements in the use of
jurors.
Judge Arkfeld serves as chair of the
American Bar Association’s Commission on the American Jury Project and just
completed her term as chair of the ABA’s
Judicial Division. She also serves on the council of State Governments’ Public
Safety and Justice Task Force, the Maricopa County Commission of Justice System
Intervention for the Seriously Mentally Ill, and the Maricopa County Oversight
Council.
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