National College of Probate Judges

About The National College of Probate Judges

Mission

Goals

About Us

Thank You

Mission

The major purposes of the College:

To promote efficient, fair and just judicial administration in the probate courts and

To provide opportunities for continuing judicial education for probate judges and related personnel.

These twin purposes are accomplished through a number of national and regional programs and projects, including conferences, publications and other materials

To foster a court system that offers equitable and expeditious administration of estate and all other proceedings under probate jurisdiction.
To encourage the preparation and distribution of materials that will aid in the administration of probate courts (for example, court practice manuals).
To help probate courts take advantage of technological progress in court administration; for example, using computers for document management, court book-keeping, and fiduciary accounting.
To sponsor regular seminars and courses for the continuing education of probate judges and court personnel.
To publish and distribute educational brochures and periodicals.
To provide a continuing educational program as well as other measures that will improve probate judicial administration.
To cooperate with other legal judicial organizations in efforts to improve judicial administration.
To be a research and learning resource for judges and scholars studying probate administration.
To assist in drafting modern probate legislation and provide expert opinions regarding proposed legislation.
To encourage, where applicable, the preparation and adoption of standardized uniform practice procedures, both within and between states.

About Us

The National College of Probate Judges was organized in 1968 to improve the administration of justice in courts with probate jurisdiction. The College was established in response to public concern with the time and costs involved in estate administration. It is the only national organization exclusively dedicated to improving probate law and probate courts.

Probate Courts are responsible for equitably handling many kinds of problems in our society. Though they deal primarily with the estates of deceased persons, probate courts also play an important role in protecting the rights of people with special needs -- the mentally ill, alcoholics, orphaned children, the aged, and developmentally disabled persons.

Thank You

We want to express our appreciation to you for your patience as this new website project unfolds. It is our goal to serve you, our membership, better -- to help you do your tasks more thoroughly, interestingly, knowledgeably and efficiently.

We are grateful to Tom Carlson and Holly Smith of the National Center for State Courts for expertise and guidance. Judge Phillip E. Harter, probate judge, Calhoun County Probate Court, Battle Creek, Michigan, exuded the initial enthusiasm for the project to keep us going. His site, one of the top ten in the country, is a model for providing information to the public and to the profession.

Finally, when we aspired to do more than our meager talents could muster, we called on Jim Cissell, Alexandria, Virginia. He is the architect of our present site. His leadership is both beacon and crutch for us, as we continue to strive for better membership benefits while at the same time daily learning how much we do not know about this technology. Thanks, Jim, for taking us to the next level. (His company is readily found through a Google search on the Internet.) Peggy Mills is our resident expert at the National Center for State Courts. We are grateful for her talented hand in this project.

Such projects require not only vision but capital. Our champion on the board of directors was Hon. Larry Belskis, who promoted the financial investment to move the project into the future. His insight, and the consequent insight of each executive committee member, was critical. The needs and habits of future generations of judges will be well served.

You will have other ideas for ways this site can help you. Please communicate them to Judge John N. Kirkendall, judgejnk@yahoo.comor by writing or calling: