President Jones to Moderate Roundtable Discussion at National Judicial College Event
Course brings together legal and election communities before 2024 elections
Dickinson President John E. Jones ’77, P’11, will moderate "Roundtable Discussion: States Prepare for a Secure Election" at a two-day course hosted in Chicago by the National Judicial College.
The March 21-22 course, "Election Challenges & Disputes: Ruling Fairly and Ethically," will bring together judges, legal scholars and election officials to discuss the legal and ethical issues surrounding election challenges and disputes.
The course will prepare judges to adjudicate election disputes, with the course description noting that cases like those studied may show up on dockets nationwide later this year—particularly if a judge serves in a political swing state. Roundtable participants include Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon.
"As someone committed to the bedrock principles of our democracy and the rule of law, I am honored to moderate a discussion with two distinguished secretaries of state who will be at the epicenter of the 2024 presidential election," says Jones. "This discussion will provide attending judges a window into the steps these leaders are taking in their respective states to ensure the integrity of the election, as well as to timely meet the deadlines necessary to comply with the newly passed Electoral Count Reform Act."
In his role as moderator, President Jones will lead a discussion among panelists on a variety of topics related to election challenges and disputes, including:
- the legal standards for challenging elections
- the ethical considerations for judges in adjudicating election challenge cases
- and the role of courts in ensuring fair and ethical elections.
A retired chief judge of the Middle District of Pennsylvania, President Jones has experience in the election arena: In 2020 he ruled against Public Interest Legal Foundation in their last-minute case against Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Kathy Boockvar, which accused the state of failing to properly remove over 20,000 deceased voters from its rolls.
He is also a frequent go-to source for national media outlets seeking expert legal insights and is a member of Keep Our Republic, a nonpartisan civic action organization, taking part in such events as "Our Fragile Republic—Sounding the Alarm in Defense of Democracy."
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Published March 14, 2024