Louisiana Supreme Court issued the following announcement on Dec. 13.
Louisiana 24TH Judicial District Court Judge Scott U. Schlegel was presented the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) 26th Annual William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence at a ceremony at the Chief Justice Pascal F. Calogero, Jr. Courthouse. Bestowed upon the Jefferson Parish judge for being a facilitator of innovative technological advancement in the Louisiana judiciary, the award is one of the highest judicial honors in the country; Judge Schlegel is the first recipient from Louisiana.
The Rehnquist Award is presented annually and honors a state court judge who demonstrates the outstanding qualities of judicial excellence, including integrity, fairness, open-mindedness, knowledge of the law, professional ethics, creativity, sound judgment, intellectual courage, and decisiveness. Court leaders who nominated Judge Schlegel for the award touted his cost-saving measures and efforts to create uniform websites for district courts statewide that will include online calendaring systems, web pages with remote court access, and online forms and resources. To date, Judge Schlegel has overseen the construction of more than a dozen new websites.
“The initiatives Judge Schlegel has brought to the Supreme Court for consideration have not only changed court systems but are changing lives,” Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice John Weimer wrote in his nomination to the NCSC “By allowing court users greater and more convenient access to the courts, in providing resources to lawyers and litigants, in offering alternative, more efficient ways to navigate the court process, Judge Schlegel is leading positive and technologically supported changes within the Louisiana system of justice, which save time for court users and result in cost savings,” continued Chief Justice Weimer.
“Judge Schlegel has certainly exhibited all of these traits and has gained the respect and admiration of his colleagues and others who serve in state judiciaries across the nation,” said NCSC President Mary C. McQueen.
Judge Schlegel expressed, “I am honored to receive this prestigious award for my work in support of the judiciary, which I consider a calling. It has been my goal to apply the technological knowledge and resources that I have acquired to advance access to justice and better serve the Louisiana judiciary and the citizens it serves.”
The evening ceremony, hosted by the NCSC, began with a welcome from Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Weimer followed by remarks from NCSC President Mary C. McQueen. The program included an introduction of the honoree by Chief Justice Paul Suttell, Supreme Court of Rhode Island, with recorded messages from John G. Roberts, Jr., Chief Justice of the United States, and Amy Coney Barrett, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, and New Orleans area native.
Also present at the ceremony was Judge Schlegel’s family including his son Luke and wife Laurie Schlegel, a State Representative in the Louisiana Legislature, who commented: “I am so proud of Scott for receiving such a prestigious award, not only for the amazing judge he is but for the kind of man he is. He is an incredible husband, loving father, and example to our son and is a true public servant.”
The National Center for State Courts, headquartered in Williamsburg, Va., is a nonprofit court organization dedicated to improving the administration of justice by providing leadership and service to the state courts. Founded in 1971 by the Conference of Chief Justices and Chief Justice of the United States Warren E. Burger, NCSC provides education, training, technology, management, and research services to the nation’s state courts.
Original source can be found here.