Patti Tobias, administrative director of Idaho court for the past two decades, will be leaving in the fall for a new position with the National Center for State Courts in Denver. “It’s pretty exciting, although it’s really emotional to leave,” Tobias said. “They’re going to post the (Idaho) position and begin recruitment this week.”

Tobias will be with the state center’s court consulting division. “I’ll be able to work with all of the state courts across the nation,” she said, on everything from technological innovation to new problem-solving courts and other court improvement efforts.

Tobias has presided over a time of big changes in Idaho’s court system, including a technology upgrade now under way to eventually bring all state court filings and documents online and make them more widely accessible. “The Idaho courts are recognized nationwide for their innovation, for their service, for their leadership,” Tobias said, noting particular national attention has focused on Idaho’s problem-solving courts including mental health and domestic violence courts.

Tobias, who holds a master’s degree in judicial administration from the University of Denver College of Law, came to Idaho more than 20 years ago as a result of the Idaho courts’ national recruitment for her position; previously, she’d worked for 14 years in state and trial courts in Missouri. She’ll leave her Idaho position in late August to start her new job.