Presenters: Aaron Kirkland, Kirkland Woods & Martinsen LLP, Kansas City; Comm. Patrick Connaghan, 22nd Judicial Circuit Court, St. Louis; Judge Deborah Daniels, 13th Judicial Circuit Court (retired), Columbia
ASTAR (Advanced Science and Technology Adjudication Resource), from 2006-2013, recognized judges who received 120 hours of continuing education to better educate judges about the science behind expert opinions. Commissioner Connaghan received this award in 2009.
NCSI (National Courts and Science Institute), from 2014 to the present, became the not-for-profit to continue the ASTAR mission. NCSI works "to enhance the capacity of courts to resolve complex cases involving novel scientific and technical evidence, and, thereby, to contribute to the independence of, and public confidence in, the Judicial Branch of government." Judge Daniels was certified as an ASTAR resource judge in 2009 and participated in science and adjudication clinics in health care outcomes in 2020 and 2021 in addition to past participation in training opportunities in genetics, addiction, and forensic science.