Needs From: MC Serves!

Volunteer: Courtroom Monitor: Help Intimate Partner Victims Seeking Protective Orders Receive Responsive Justice

This is a unique volunteer opportunity! Please read the information below thoroughly.

We currently need volunteers to monitor protective order hearings in Rockville or Silver Spring District Court for the morning sessions (8:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.) on weekdays.  You will always attend court with at least one other person and meet after the court session to ensure that you and your co-monitor have recorded the same factual information. If there are discrepancies, you will resolve those and adjust your forms before leaving the courthouse. This step is critical to the accuracy of our data and is not optional.

Volunteers should be available to come to court at least twice a month for a minimum of a year due to the learning curve and training involved.

Please note that court monitors collect data on physical paper forms (no electronics are allowed in the courtroom), scan them via a phone app or an actual scanner, and email them to our Data Analyst & Manager for review. We seek court monitors who:

Have excellent observation skills and attention to detailCommit to completing all stages of trainingWill read and follow instructions for data collection (and continue to reference instructions over time), thus submitting forms that are complete and accurateHave handwriting that is legible enough for our data entry volunteers to read the valuable data you collectAre willing to receive feedback and incorporate that feedback into future monitoring sessions, demonstrating improvement over timeAre willing to learn and set aside existing assumptions about the parties in the cases to collect data objectivelyCommit to attending court at least twice a month for a year

Existing knowledge of law, the court system, criminology, or domestic violence is not required. We are here to support you! You will be provided with thorough training that includes:

Observing a monitoring session with established monitorsAttending a virtual training session about the court process and intimate partner violence (IPV)Attending an in-person training session about completing the data collection formMonitoring your first court session with our Data Analyst & Manager

Inclusivity statement: Court Watch strives to be a respectful and inclusive organization. All applicants who are able to complete all parts of training and fulfill the requirements of the court monitor role described in this posting (including submitting complete and accurate forms according to the instructions) will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, education, employment, or other characteristics. Volunteers are expected to conform to our culture of inclusion when in court and when attending organizational events.

To submit an application: courtwatchmontgomery.org/volunteer/

Not approved for MCPS SSL hours.

Agency: Court Watch Montgomery

This is a unique volunteer opportunity! Please read the information below thoroughly.

We currently need volunteers to monitor protective order hearings in Rockville or Silver Spring District Court for the morning sessions (8:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.) on weekdays.  You will always attend court with at least one other person and meet after the court session to ensure that you and your co-monitor have recorded the same factual information. If there are discrepancies, you will resolve those and adjust your forms before leaving the courthouse. This step is critical to the accuracy of our data and is not optional.

Volunteers should be available to come to court at least twice a month for a minimum of a year due to the learning curve and training involved.

Please note that court monitors collect data on physical paper forms (no electronics are allowed in the courtroom), scan them via a phone app or an actual scanner, and email them to our Data Analyst & Manager for review. We seek court monitors who:

Have excellent observation skills and attention to detailCommit to completing all stages of trainingWill read and follow instructions for data collection (and continue to reference instructions over time), thus submitting forms that are complete and accurateHave handwriting that is legible enough for our data entry volunteers to read the valuable data you collectAre willing to receive feedback and incorporate that feedback into future monitoring sessions, demonstrating improvement over timeAre willing to learn and set aside existing assumptions about the parties in the cases to collect data objectivelyCommit to attending court at least twice a month for a year

Existing knowledge of law, the court system, criminology, or domestic violence is not required. We are here to support you! You will be provided with thorough training that includes:

Observing a monitoring session with established monitorsAttending a virtual training session about the court process and intimate partner violence (IPV)Attending an in-person training session about completing the data collection formMonitoring your first court session with our Data Analyst & Manager

Inclusivity statement: Court Watch strives to be a respectful and inclusive organization. All applicants who are able to complete all parts of training and fulfill the requirements of the court monitor role described in this posting (including submitting complete and accurate forms according to the instructions) will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, education, employment, or other characteristics. Volunteers are expected to conform to our culture of inclusion when in court and when attending organizational events.

To submit an application: courtwatchmontgomery.org/volunteer/

Not approved for MCPS SSL hours.

Agency: Court Watch Montgomery

Need Type: Volunteer

Date: Is Ongoing

Zip Code: 20910

Allow Groups: No

Volunteer: Join our Board of Directors!

Court Watch Montgomery is Recruiting Board Members!

We are a small nonprofit with a big mission: to ensure safety and access to justice for survivors of intimate partner violence in Montgomery County. Through dedicated and well-trained volunteers, we monitor and collect data on protective order hearings in Montgomery County District Court, use our findings to identify and recommend needed improvements in policy and practice, and hold judges and court personnel accountable for providing a safe and respectful court environment.

Since our founding in 2011, Court Watch Montgomery (CWM) has monitored more than 11,000 hearings and our resulting reports and recommendations make an impact. We found in 2022 that “staggered exits” – a recognized best practice to protect victims at the end of a protective order hearing – were being enforced only 39% of the time. We reported this finding to the public and to the court and saw an immediate increase, to 59%, in 2023. We also reported in 2023 that petitioners are far more likely to receive a final protective order when they appear in court with an advocate or attorney, highlighting a critical resource need in the county. Most recently, CWM reported on the use of gun-related best practices in protective order hearings, helping to inform the public about an issue that is the focus of a high profile Supreme Court case (Rahimi).

The CWM board defines the organization’s mission and vision, develops short- and long-term plans to carry out the mission, and sets policies for effective management. Resource development and fundraising to support CWM operations are key functions of the board. We are seeking to expand our board and are committed to having a team with diverse skills, experiences, and abilities. We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and communities, and we especially encourage those with lived experience and skills in fundraising/resource development, finance/accounting, or advocacy/policy, to apply. Interviews will be held with current CWM board members and our Executive Director.

Please submit a resume and letter of interest to: lchatmon@courtwatchmontgomery.org

Click to download a full list of board responsibilities.

Court Watch Montgomery


**Priority will be given to applicants in or near Montgomery County, MD.**

Agency: Court Watch Montgomery

Court Watch Montgomery is Recruiting Board Members!

We are a small nonprofit with a big mission: to ensure safety and access to justice for survivors of intimate partner violence in Montgomery County. Through dedicated and well-trained volunteers, we monitor and collect data on protective order hearings in Montgomery County District Court, use our findings to identify and recommend needed improvements in policy and practice, and hold judges and court personnel accountable for providing a safe and respectful court environment.

Since our founding in 2011, Court Watch Montgomery (CWM) has monitored more than 11,000 hearings and our resulting reports and recommendations make an impact. We found in 2022 that “staggered exits” – a recognized best practice to protect victims at the end of a protective order hearing – were being enforced only 39% of the time. We reported this finding to the public and to the court and saw an immediate increase, to 59%, in 2023. We also reported in 2023 that petitioners are far more likely to receive a final protective order when they appear in court with an advocate or attorney, highlighting a critical resource need in the county. Most recently, CWM reported on the use of gun-related best practices in protective order hearings, helping to inform the public about an issue that is the focus of a high profile Supreme Court case (Rahimi).

The CWM board defines the organization’s mission and vision, develops short- and long-term plans to carry out the mission, and sets policies for effective management. Resource development and fundraising to support CWM operations are key functions of the board. We are seeking to expand our board and are committed to having a team with diverse skills, experiences, and abilities. We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and communities, and we especially encourage those with lived experience and skills in fundraising/resource development, finance/accounting, or advocacy/policy, to apply. Interviews will be held with current CWM board members and our Executive Director.

Please submit a resume and letter of interest to: lchatmon@courtwatchmontgomery.org

Click to download a full list of board responsibilities.

Court Watch Montgomery


**Priority will be given to applicants in or near Montgomery County, MD.**

Agency: Court Watch Montgomery

Need Type: Volunteer

Date: Is Ongoing

Zip Code: 20910

Allow Groups: No