PLATINUM2023

Council for Court Excellence

Improving Justice for the Community

aka CCE   |   Washington, DC   |  http://www.courtexcellence.org

Mission

Founded in 1982, the Council for Court Excellence (CCE) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan civic organization that envisions a justice system in the District of Columbia that equitably serves its people and continues to be a model for creating stronger and more prosperous communities. CCE identifies and proposes solutions by collaborating with diverse stakeholders to conduct research, advance policy, educate the public, and increase civic engagement.

Ruling year info

1982

Executive Director

Misty Thomas

Main address

1111 14th St NW Suite 500

Washington, DC 20005 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

52-1241825

NTEE code info

Administration of Justice, Courts (Court Administration, Court Reform, Alternatives to Litigation and Sentencing) (I50)

Research Institutes and/or Public Policy Analysis (I05)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

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Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Building a More Equitable Justice System in D.C.

Council for Court Excellence [CCE] projects are overseen by four standing program committees: Criminal Justice, Youth Justice, Justice Education, and Civil Justice.

Criminal Justice
Since CCE’s inception in 1982, the Criminal Justice Committee has diligently researched the most important, urgent issues facing the District of Columbia’s criminal justice system, and recommended policy and practice reforms to benefit everyone involved, from defendants, victims, prosecutors and defense attorneys, to judges, law enforcement, and corrections personnel.
Over the last 37 years, the Criminal Justice Committee has worked on issues as varied as sentencing reform, police overtime, criminal record sealing and expungement, disorderly conduct statutes, perceptions of public safety, barriers to employment for returning citizens, and the treatment afforded people with mental illness by the criminal justice system. Recommendations by the Criminal Justice Committee are taken seriously by DC Council, the courts, and other institutions within the criminal justice system, and have resulted in amendments to the criminal code and the creation of several laws regarding re-entry from prison and jail.

Youth Justice
Since 1982, CCE’s Youth Justice Committee has worked to improve outcomes for DC youth involved in the juvenile justice, criminal, and child welfare systems. To this end, the committee researches and analyzes local youth justice issues, publishes reports documenting its findings, and advocates for changes to local juvenile justice laws, systems, and policies.
The Youth Justice Committee has achieved significant success over the past 37 years. In 1988, the committee developed the Practice Manual for Child Abuse and Neglect Cases in DC. This project led the committee to focus its efforts on improving the child welfare system. From 1992 to 2012, the committee facilitated collaboration among DC child welfare leaders, monitored District compliance with the federal Adoption and Safe Families Act, and published biannual progress reports tracking systemic improvements. Another accomplishment of the committee is its 2009 Guide to the DC Juvenile Justice System, a plain English overview of how the DC juvenile justice system functions. CCE has distributed thousands of copies of this guide throughout the DC community and also has conducted community training sessions based on its content. The committee’s most recent major project was its 2015 report Equity in School Discipline, an overview of DC school discipline procedures and policies.

Justice Education
Since 1982, CCE’s Justice Education Committee has educated the District of Columbia community about local justice issues. To this end, the committee publishes plain English guides concerning DC justice issues, and also conducts presentations based on these guides throughout the community.
Over the past 37 years, CCE’s Justice Education Committee has published eight community guides, including its earliest publication When Someone Dies: A Non-Lawyer’s Guide to Probate in Washington, DC, and its more recent When an Adult Needs Decision-making Help: Legal Tools Available in the District of Columbia. The committee has also sponsored legal trainings for attorneys and judges. For several years, the committee partnered with the DC Superior Court to execute jury service appreciation events at the courthouse. Since 1991, the committee has sponsored the School Jury Education Project, through which local and federal judges teach high school students about serving on a jury in the District of Columbia.

Civil Justice
Since 1982, CCE’s Civil Justice Committee has worked to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the D.C. courts. Notable past projects have included jury reform and modernization, probate reform, civil case delay reduction, increasing public access to electronic court records, and improving D.C.’s administrative adjudication system, among others. The projects have resulted in studies and reports recommending improvements to the District’s court and related systems.

Population(s) Served
Adolescents
Adults
Economically disadvantaged people
Detainees
Ex-offenders

The Public Welfare Foundation intends to begin supporting local juvenile and criminal justice projects in Washington, DC in March 2019. IN order to build upon its existing knowledge, the Foundation has requested that the Council for Court Excellence (CCE) provide a landscape review of DC's juvenile and criminal justice systems, from point-of-arrest through reentry. This landscape review will include a map/overview of DC's systems and processes, including an explanation of DC's unique jurisdictional status and its impact on these systems; a population data snapshot (wherever available); an overview of key stakeholders; and an explanation of currently identified issues and opportunities.

Population(s) Served
Incarcerated people
Adolescents

Where we work

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Number of stories successfully placed in the media

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Holding steady

Number of testimonies offered

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Holding steady

Number of research or policy analysis products developed, e.g., reports, briefs

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Holding steady

Number of grants received

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Input - describing resources we use

Direction of Success

Increasing

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Financials

Council for Court Excellence
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

Council for Court Excellence

Board of directors
as of 02/06/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Ms. Marianela Peralta

Aerotek, Inc.

Term: 2021 -

Irvin B. Nathan

Arnold & Porter LLP

James H. Hulme

Arent Fox LLP

Julia A. Matthews

Civic Director

Patrick McGlone

Ullico Inc.

Debra Belott

Jones Day

Lisa Zycherman

Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

Karen Evans

The Cochran Firm

John (Jay) B. Kennedy

The Washington Post

Joshua B. Bernstein

Bernstein Management Company

Abigail Blomstrom

Monumental Sports & Entertainment

Kevin A. Chambers

Latham & Watkins

Paulette E. Chapman

Koonz, McKenney, Johnson, & DePaolis, LLP

Eric S. Glover

Civic Director

Paul S. Lee

Steptoe & Johnson LLP

Hon. Heidi Pasichow

Superior Court of the District of Columbia

Benjamin J. Razi

Covington & Burling LLP

Elizabeth A. Scully

BakerHostetler

Natalie S. Walker

Webster & Fredrickson, PLLC

Tyrone Walker

Civic Director

Tami Weerasingha-Cote

Children's Law Center

Cynthia G. Wright

Civic Director

Lisa B. Zycherman

Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 5/26/2022

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

No data

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

No data

Equity strategies

Last updated: 05/26/2022

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
  • We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
  • We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
Policies and processes
  • We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.