Noticing inspiring people, programs, and moments is important for our well-being. One of the most inspiring programs I have been involved in recently is a training on vicarious trauma for Illinois judges.
The training addresses how some cases in a judge’s docket and highly charged situations in their courtrooms can impact their mental health, well-being, and ability to deliver effective justice to court users. It also provides practical strategies to help minimize the impact of trauma on judges, on and off the bench.
As part of the training, which is organized by the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism, I have had the pleasure of collaborating with Judge Victor Reyes, a retired judge from Colorado who draws on his experiences navigating vicarious trauma to help other judges do so mindfully.
Whether it is a murder case, high-conflict divorce, domestic violence, probate, or bankruptcy, lawyers and judges must hear and dissect what can be horrific and contentious experiences with discretion and restraint.
Seeing this daily can cause judges to experience vicarious trauma, which is defined as hearing about and/or witnessing the distressing circumstances of others without being directly involved in the situations.
I learned about Judge Reyes’ work while researching trauma in the legal profession, and the Commission on Professionalism has been fortunate to partner with him on this initiative.
Judge Reyes’ story
Judge Reyes served as a District Judge in Colorado’s 10th Judicial District from 1999 through 2014.
There, he presided over criminal, civil, county court appeals, probate, domestic, restraining order, juvenile and dependency, and neglect matters, regularly witnessing people in painful and distressing situations.
In January 2011, Judge Reyes presided over a jury trial in a case regarding a 14-year-old child who had been sexually assaulted and killed by a neighbor, who left her body in a trash bag in a field.
This trial would have a profound impact on his life.
“Daily, I was completely overwhelmed by what I was seeing and hearing and by the stressors of managing the proceedings,” Judge Reyes wrote in the ABA Journal in 2022.
As part of the case, Judge Reyes had to decide whether to introduce a horrendous photo of the deceased young girl, who was the same age as his children, into evidence. To maintain judicial fairness, he remained stoic and suppressed his natural reactions throughout the process.
Judge Reyes says he did not recognize the trauma the experience caused at the time and, therefore, did not prioritize processing how the case was impacting him on and off the bench.
“While I attended lectures and trainings about vicarious trauma and how to mitigate its effects, I never fully integrated what I heard into my personal or professional life until later in my career,” he wrote in the ABA Journal. “My ‘nothing phases me, I’ve seen it all’ attitude was based on a lack of awareness of the gross and subtle effects of vicarious trauma.”
Exposure to traumatic situations he regularly heard on the bench, coupled with a demanding docket, eventually took a toll on Judge Reyes’ health.
When his doctor told him he was on the path to having a heart attack or stroke, Judge Reyes committed to changing his life.
Making life more ‘pleasurable and rewarding’ for judges
Since then, Judge Reyes has made his health and wellness a priority. He is using the lessons he learned to train other judges about the impact of vicarious trauma on their mental and physical health.
When I asked Judge Reyes why he has dedicated his retirement to this, he said, “I am hoping that, through this work, others can experience the sense of peace and balance that made the work more pleasurable and rewarding. Healthier judges make better decisions.”
It is important to note that while vicarious trauma is not unique to the judiciary – law enforcement officers, EMTs, firefighters, and other front-line workers often experience vicarious trauma too – judges do not benefit from debriefing processes that are often in place in other professions to support those exposed to trauma.
Instead, judges must keep their own counsel in the interests of confidentiality and due process, leading to feelings of isolation as judges are prohibited from sharing the details of their work with even family or close friends.
No longer suffering alone
Over the past year, I have been fortunate to collaborate with Judge Reyes and a stellar planning team to develop a training session on vicarious trauma for judges.
The training was the brainchild of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans, who has written on the importance of supporting judges in recognizing and coping with vicarious trauma.
“Vicarious trauma can hit any judge, anywhere, at any time, and our vulnerability to it comes as a natural extension of our work in the judiciary itself,” Chief Judge Evans wrote, noting that the “pressure to succeed in such a competitive environment” and “expectations to maintain a facade of competence, strength and resilience often prevent judges, lawyers, and others in the legal profession from seeking help.”
To move beyond the stigma, Chief Judge Evans convened a working group to explore the issue. Chief Judge Evans tasked the working group with determining “how to help judges keep themselves mentally and physically healthy.” The Commission on Professionalism was honored to be part of this working group.
Tools to support judges
The reality is that vicarious trauma is inherent to the work of the judiciary. In fact, data has shown that 63% of judges have experienced at least one symptom of vicarious trauma.
During the training, Judge Reyes shares his story, emphasizing that judges must understand their triggers and develop a plan for coping with the traumatic experiences they encounter.
For Judge Reyes, this meant “developing a better, healthier relationship with my mind,” and recognizing his ability to control his emotions and to be more reflective rather than reactive.
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Rochford, Dr. Diana Uchiyama, Executive Director of the Illinois Lawyers’ Assistance Program (LAP), and other speakers join Judge Reyes for the training. I am grateful for the opportunity to moderate.
A judge’s capacity to recognize that they are not alone in their professional challenges and to grant themselves patience and grace is essential in minimizing the impact of vicarious trauma.
Justice Rochford touches on this in her opening remarks during the training, discussing the shared challenges judges face and how she grounds herself through energizing walks by the lake.
Dr. Uchiyama then discusses vicarious trauma from a clinical perspective, sharing how it can materialize through feelings of depression, fear, anger, addiction, chest pains, difficulty concentrating, trouble making decisions, and racing thoughts, to name a few. She also provides strategies and techniques to help mitigate the toll vicarious trauma can have on a judge.
A lasting impact
Since September 2024, we have conducted four vicarious trauma trainings for Illinois judges, including sessions in the Cook County Circuit Court and the 18th Judicial Circuit Court in DuPage County.
The organizers and Commission staff have witnessed the training’s impact first-hand, and I am pleased to report that we have several additional trainings scheduled at courthouses across Illinois this year.
In addition to thanking Judge Reyes for his courage, time, and vulnerability, I would like to thank the Commission on Professionalism’s Liaison, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Rochford, and the Illinois Supreme Court for their support of the program.
Thank you to Chief Judge Timothy Evans for elevating vicarious trauma and its impact on legal professionalism as a challenge for judges and for inviting the Commission to be part of the program.
Thank you also to Chief Judge Bonnie Wheaton for bringing the training to the 18th Judicial Circuit in DuPage County and spreading the word about the training to other Chief Judges.
I am grateful to the following Presiding Judges who have dedicated their time, shared their experiences, and offered support to their judges: Judge Michael Balanoff (Ret.), Former Presiding Judge of the Cook County Circuit Court Child Protection Division; Judge Andrea Buford, Acting Presiding Judge of the Cook County Circuit Court Child Protection Division; Judge Donna Cooper, Presiding Judge of the Cook County Circuit Court Juvenile Justice Division; Judge Maureen Ward Kirby, Presiding Judge of the Cook County Circuit Court County Division; Judge Daniel Malone, Presiding Judge of the Cook County Cricut Court Probate Division; Judge Mary Cay Marubio, Presiding Judge of the Cook County Circuit Court Pretrial Division; Judge Judith Rice, Presiding Judge of the Cook County Circuit Court Domestic Violence Division; Judge Reginia Scannicchio, Presiding Judge of the Cook County Circuit Court Domestic Relations Division; and Judge E. Kenneth Wright Jr., Presiding Judge of the Cook County Circuit Court First Municipal District.
I would also like to thank Dr. Diana Uchiyama for sharing her wisdom on the topic with Illinois judges; Eileen Heisler, Assistant to Chief Judge Timothy Evans; Katherine Nolan, Director-Legal Research Division of the Office of the Chief Judge-Circuit Court of Cook County; Suzanne Armstrong, Court Administrator for the 18th Judicial Circuit Court; and Erika Harold, Executive Director of the Commission on Professionalism, for their assistance and guidance in making the training a success.
Staying up to date on issues impacting the legal profession is vital to your success. Subscribe here to get the Commission’s weekly news delivered to your inbox.
Professionalism Spotlight: Nikki Ticknor, Deputy Court Administrator, 17th Judicial Circuit