Backers urge mandatory trauma-informed judicial training in Oregon to protect survivors and children

Supporters told the House Committee on Judiciary that Senate Bill 710A would give the chief justice authority to establish judge-specific continuing education standards that include evidence-based, trauma-informed training on domestic violence, sexual assault and related matters.

The measure as presented to the committee would authorize the chief justice of the Oregon Supreme Court to establish minimum continuing education requirements for judges of the circuit courts, tax court, Court of Appeals and Supreme Court, require that requirements include evidence-based, trauma-informed education on domestic violence and sexual assault, and direct the state court administrator to report to the interim legislative committees by Sept. 15, 2027; the reporting requirement would be repealed Jan. 2, 2028, in the bill summary.

Janine Solomon, state senator and board member of the Family Justice Center of Washington County, and Senator Suzanne Weber both described the need for specialized judicial training. ‘‘To protect children and survivors of abuse and domestic violence, we must have better training and awareness for our judges all across Oregon,’’ Solomon said. She described prior work on ‘‘Caden’s Law’’ and said judicial education was a critical next step.

Rebecca Guptill, presiding judge of Washington County Circuit Court, testified in support ‘‘in my individual capacity’’ and described the courtroom dynamics and practical skills judges need. Guptill said judges currently meet the same CLE requirements as practicing attorneys and that CLE offerings are often not judge-specific. ‘‘This really necessitates judicial training that is ongoing and recurring to both teach initial skills and also to help judges refine those skills to ensure they are being applied effectively in the courtroom,’’ she said. Guptill also said 86% of family law cases in Oregon have at least one self-represented party and argued specialized training would improve outcomes for litigants and children.

Survivors and advocates called the training urgent and practical. Rachel Schutz, executive director of the Family Justice Center of Washington County, said trauma-informed judicial education ‘‘isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity.’’ Members of the Voices Survivor Advisory Committee described personal court experiences they said were harmful and urged mandatory training so judges can ‘‘see through deception’’ and better protect vulnerable litigants.

Aaron Knott of the Oregon Judicial Department said OJD supported the bill in concept and that the department planned to work with the sponsors to make training accessible for judges, including seeking CLE credit so the training can be integrated into the existing 45-hour requirement and exploring remote or digital delivery options. He also confirmed the bill contemplates an advisory committee and community engagement in developing materials.

Committee members asked technical and transparency questions, including whether training content would be subject to public records requests; an OJD representative said he would follow up with a written answer. The bill summary presented to the committee noted the Senate floor vote was unanimous in the Senate with 29 yeas and 1 excused. No committee vote was recorded during the public hearing.