The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a challenge Monday by Serranus C. Hastings’ descendants to the removal of his name from San Francisco’s 148-year-old law school after revelations that he ordered troops to slaughter thousands of Native Americans in the 1860s.

Unlike most court proceedings, everyone in a CARE Court courtroom — judges, participants, family members, providers and county agencies — works toward the same objective: helping someone find a path to stability and hope, where perhaps that path previously was lost or difficult to find.

The Judicial Council at its Oct. 16 business meeting adopted updated parameters to help assess judicial need in trial courts. The council also approved changes to court interpreter policies and heard a presentation about the importance of guardianship ahead of Adoption and Permanency Month.

(Subscription required) After more than a decade handling family law cases, Commissioner James T. Atkins knows the limits of judicial intervention but remains committed to helping families navigate their most difficult conflicts.