A Decade of Impact: Justice Speakers Institute Celebrates 10 Years of Advancing Justice Worldwide

This fall, the Justice Speakers Institute (JSI) proudly marks 10 years of service, leadership, and innovation in justice reform around the world. What began in 2015 as a vision shared by a few justice system leaders has grown into a globally respected training, consulting, and education organization serving judges, court professionals, and policymakers in more than a dozen countries.

Founded by Judge Peggy Fulton Hora (Ret.), David Wallace, and Judge Brian MacKenzie (Ret.), JSI was built on a simple truth: justice can be more effective, by being grounded in science and human dignity. Over the past decade, JSI has delivered hundreds of trainings, influenced state and national policies, produced the Science Bench Book for Judges along with groundbreaking position papers, and launched the Justice Speaks podcast, which has now reached listeners in over 90 countries.

Carrying Forward the Legacy of Judge Peggy Hora

Judge Peggy Fulton Hora—a visionary in international judicial education and a pioneer of therapeutic jurisprudence—helped define JSI’s mission and character. Her decades of work promoting problem-solving courts and judicial excellence helped transform court systems worldwide.

Her commitment to advancing justice lives on through JSI’s work and the thousands of professionals she inspired. Though Judge Hora passed away in 2020, her leadership, integrity, and insistence on quality continue to guide our mission.

“Peggy believed fiercely in the power of courts to change lives—not just cases,” said Brian MacKenzie, JSI Co-President. “Her passion for education, evidence-based practice, and human dignity shaped everything JSI stands for. Her voice is still with us in every training, every conversation, every effort to improve justice systems.”

Global Training, Real World Impact

In its first 10 years, JSI has expanded from a handful of speaking engagements to a trusted global resource in justice system training. JSI experts have delivered programs in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Italy, South Africa, the Netherlands, and more.

Our training programs and consulting address real courtroom challenges with practical, evidence-based solutions. Core focus areas include:

• Problem-solving courts and judicial leadership;
• Evidence-based practices in criminal justice;
• Substance use dependency and the science on how to respond to it, and MOUD implementation;
• Ethical decision-making and professional practice standards;
• AI, technology, and the future of courts;
• Community engagement and procedural fairness; and,
• Traffic Safety.

Advancing Evidence-Based Justice

For JSI, education is not theory, it is best practices in action. Our team has trained thousands of court professionals, equipping them with research-based strategies that improve safety, accountability, and public trust.

“JSI has always believed that justice should be informed by facts, not assumptions,” said David Wallace, JSI Co-President. “From the science of substance dependency to risk assessment practices to AI governance in courts—we provide judges and professionals with the tools they need to make informed, humane decisions.”

Through position papers, research briefs, judicial education tools, and policy frameworks, JSI has influenced state and national conversations on justice reform. Notably, JSI co-developed the Science Bench Book for Judges in partnership with the National Judicial College, providing courts with essential guidance on evaluating scientific and expert evidence. JSI’s work has also helped expand access to Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) in treatment courts, improve probation accountability tools, and strengthen judicial strategies for high-risk impaired driving cases, among many other efforts to advance evidence-based justice.

Justice Speaks: Giving Voice to Reform

In 2022, JSI launched an updated Justice Speaks podcast, opening up meaningful conversations with national justice leaders, researchers, and policy-makers. Hosted by JSI, the podcast has now released more than 35 episodes in the new format, featuring judges, treatment court coordinators, international reform advocates, justice leaders, tribal court judges, and more.

Justice Speaks continues to elevate innovation in justice, sharing lessons from the field and amplifying courageous voices from around the world.

Looking Ahead: The Next 10 Years

• Expanding global partnerships to share best practices and judicial leadership strategies;
• Supporting systemic justice reform initiatives, including ongoing research such as JSI’s study of first appearances in Maine to improve procedural fairness and early court outcomes;
• Advancing training in substance use dependency and MOUD, ensuring courts apply medical science to save lives;
• Combating the overdose crisis with evidence-based court practices and treatment collaboration;
• Leading the national conversation on artificial intelligence in courts, shaping policy and judicial readiness;
• Promoting ethical technology use through guidance on digital evidence, automation bias, and judicial responsibility;
• Growing the Justice Speaks podcast platform to elevate reform conversations and global collaboration; and,
• Expanding justice education and judicial leadership initiatives worldwide, preparing courts for the evolving challenges of the next decade.

Join us for the Next Decade of Impact

To everyone who has worked with us, learned with us, and shared our mission—thank you. Justice Speakers Institute was built by people who believe in better justice. That means you.

Let’s build the next decade of progress—together.