Duke Law School next year will begin co-hosting the Appellate Judges Education Institute's annual summit, further sharpening its focus on the judiciary.

The annual summit each year brings together about 300 federal and state appellate judges and attorneys for four days of panels and discussions aimed at bringing participants up to date on legal and procedural developments and fostering closer ties between the bench and bar. The summit is held each November.

The new affiliation will help Duke connect with potential candidates for its Master of Judicial Studies—the country's only advanced law degree specifically for judges—said John Rabiej, director of the law school's Center for Judicial Studies. The law school launched that degree in 2011 and has since opened the program to overseas judges.