Author: Lauren Curtis

Navigating AI in Court Translation

Navigating AI in court translation is opening new doors for access to justice.

To meet the needs of Limited English Proficient (LEP) users, the Superior Court in Orange County, Calif., is leveraging an AI-powered Court Application for Translation (CAT) tool.

Blanca Escobedo, deputy chief operations officer for Orange County Superior Court, shared an overview of the tool last month during our “AI-assisted translation in the courts: Exploring opportunities and navigating risks” webinar, presented by the TRI/NCSC AI Consortium.

Orange County’s experience with machine translation

California’s CAT initiative began with the top two languages needed in Orange County: Spanish and Vietnamese. The court customized a third-party product to understand legal terminology to improve translation accuracy and hired certified translators and interpreters for quality control. By combining machine translation with certified human review, they’ve improved accuracy, cut costs, and sped up case processing. Learn how AI and human expertise together can transform court services: Navigating AI in court translation: Insights for court leaders | National Center for State Courts

#AccessToJustice #CourtInnovation #AIinJustice #LegalTech #AI

Upcoming Webinar! Exploring the Effects of AI & Generational Shifts in the Workforce: June 18th, 2025, at 1:00PM EST.

Exploring the Effects of AI & Generational Shifts in the Workforce: June 18th, 2025, at 1:00PM EST.

As state courts confront the dual challenges of AI integration and generational workforce shifts, this webinar from the TRI/NCSC AI Policy Consortium will provide insights into the use of AI by courts and how AI can help courts address current operational demands and the effects of workforce changes on court operations.

Discover how technological advancements, including AI and #GenAI, are reshaping court operations and access to justice.

Register here: Exploring the effects of AI & generational shifts in the workforce | National Center for State Courts

#webinar #registerhere #statecourts #courts #justicesystem #learnmore

SJI Board Awards FY 2025 Third Quarter Grants

SJI received ten (10) grant applications requesting a total of $1,020,979 for the 3rd quarter of FY 2025.

The Board awarded two (2) Strategic Initiative Grants to: the Mississippi Center for Justice to focus on rule implementation and modifications in justice courts across the state; and the Children’s Law Center, in partnership with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and the Children’s Voice Project to develop and promulgate best practices in children’s participation in family court proceedings.

Six (6) Technical Assistance Grant applications were awarded: the Supreme Court of Virginia to examine the significant disparity in participation rates of parents in court-ordered parental education seminars for contested custody, visitation, and support cases; the Mississippi Administrative Office of the Courts to transform and improve juvenile delinquency court (“Youth Court”) policy, practice, and funding statewide; the Nebraska Administrative Office of Courts and Probation to expand judicial leadership in cross-sector collaboration through the 2025 Children’s Summit and Upstream workshops; the DeKalb County, Georgia, Magistrate Court to plan and launch a court-based self-help center based on national best practices; the 5th Judicial District Court of Pennsylvania to improve the child custody and related motions docket, with particular focus on self-represented litigants; and the Indiana Office of Judicial Administration to implement innovative triage solutions to enhance criminal case management. 

Two (2) Curriculum Adaptation and Training Grants were awarded: the National Center for State Courts to pilot, adapt, and improve the course content of a recently developed curriculum on data literacy for court managers and staff; and the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals for a workshop focused on building leadership capacity and team building.

The next deadline for grant applications is August 1, 2025.

FY 2025 3rd Quarter SJI Board Meeting

The FY 2025 3rd Quarter SJI Board Meeting was held on Monday, June 2nd, 2025, at the Maryland Judicial Center in Annapolis, MD. SJI Executive Director, Jonathan Mattiello, Senior Program Advisor, Michelle White, and members of the SJI Board were joined by Chief Justice Matthew Fader, Chief Judge Joseph Getty (ret.) and State Court Administrator, Judy Rupp, pictured inside of the Supreme Court of Maryland.

#SJIBoardofDirectors #SJIBoard #StateJusticeInstitute #BoardMeeting #SupremeCourtofMaryland #MarylandJudiciary

Nevada Guardianship Portal – Supreme Court of Nevada, Administrative Office of the Courts

The Courts in Nevada have invested in the development of electronic systems to improve transparency, accessibility and efficiency of court processes. These investments have significantly reduced the time taken from initiating a case to its final disposition. Unlike most Court processes, guardianships commence at disposition and can last for decades, for example the guardianship of a mentally disabled child.

Guardianships in Nevada are currently monitored annually with the guardian filing various mandatory reports with the court. To improve oversight, the Supreme Court of Nevada, Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) initiated a project, funded by the State Justice Institute and in conjunction with the National Center for State Courts (NCSC), to build an online portal to monitor guardianships. Moving to an electronic platform permits the guardian, and the court to track a protected persons Health & Welfare, income, expenses and assets in real time.

This is achieved through a built-in alerts system that flags financial inconsistencies, health & welfare concerns and the timeliness of a guardians reporting to the court. Financial oversight is via PLAID, an application that connects the portal directly with a protected person’s bank accounts, credit cards and other financial accounts in real time. Inconsistencies are flagged immediately for further investigation. Health & Welfare alerts focus on exceptions. For example, failing to regularly visit a protected person, abuse of a protected person, or missing a medical appointment are flagged for follow-up. The portal uses TWILIO, a leading cloud services provider, to alert guardians and court staff when reports are due and overdue. The portal stands apart from but is linked to individual court case management systems.

“I like that the portal prepares filings for me. Now all I need to do is review and press file and it’s done.”

-A public guardian

“The direct download to the transactions file saves me over hours of work a month, and it’s accurate!”

-A private guardian

“The H&W summary report saves me from having to read through all the pages of the Annual Report, it’s real time saver.”

-A court user

Collaboration in Action: A Toolkit for Courts and Counties

The State Justice Institute, in partnership with Praxis Consulting and Rulo Strategies, is excited to launch Collaboration in Action: A Toolkit for Courts and Counties, a comprehensive and user-friendly resource designed to support courts, county officials, and justice stakeholders in creating safer and more effective local justice systems. This free toolkit provides step-by-step guidance to help communities plan strategically, collaborate across agencies, and implement sustainable ideas and programs.

Whether you’re addressing pretrial practices, reentry, substance use, or overall justice system coordination, the toolkit offers practical tools and real-world examples tailored to the challenges of local governance. It walks users through how to identify the right partners, engage key stakeholders, and facilitate the planning processes. From convening working groups to setting priorities and tracking progress, the toolkit emphasizes collaboration and community-centered approaches.

Inside, you’ll find resources on:

  • Building cross-sector partnerships
  • Leading strategic planning initiatives
  • Sustaining long-term efforts and funding
  • Turning ideas into actionable programs
  • Promoting data-informed decision making

Whether you’re just starting your planning journey or looking to strengthen existing efforts, the toolkit is a valuable companion in advancing your community’s justice goals. Visit the toolkit here.

Upcoming Education Opportunity! The Child Abuse and Neglect Institute (CANI) Virtual Training

Virtually via Zoom from June 2nd – June 6th, 2025, the NCJFCJ’s training for dependency court judges, the Child Abuse and Neglect Institute (CANI) provides instruction for new or experienced judges on the knowledge and skills necessary to preside over an effective child abuse and neglect court process. Participants will also receive instruction on emerging practices to improve outcomes for children and families in the child welfare system. CANI brings together an outstanding cadre of expert judicial faculty and other subject matter experts to engage participants through exemplary instruction, case scenarios, and other active learning strategies.

Register here.

The Guide for Remote Dependency Hearings

Join us for the launch of the #GuideforRemoteDependencyHearings

Ensuring Family Justice in a Virtual World: Introducing a New Court Guide for Remote Dependency Hearings – May 13th, 2025, at 1:00PM EST.

Developed with support from State Justice Institute, this guide helps dependency courts conduct effective, accessible, and secure remote hearings. Created through careful collaboration with courts across the country, the Guide for Remote Dependency Hearings offers practical solutions for courts seeking to implement or improve remote dependency hearings. It includes detailed recommendations for drafting court policies, selecting appropriate technology platforms, ensuring privacy and security, managing hearing logistics, and enhancing family engagement.

The Guide for Remote Dependency Hearings will be officially released during a webinar on May 13th, 2025, after which it will be available on NCSC’s website.

Learn how to assess your court’s policies and practices and request free technical assistance to enhance your remote court processes.

Register for the #webinar here.

A New Way to Manage Traffic and Misdemeanor Cases

This year, the Justice Management Institute received a strategic initiatives grant from the State Justice Institute to expand the use of online case resolution (OCR) for traffic and misdemeanor cases. With OCR, a person who receives a citation or is charged with a misdemeanor can access a defendant app and contest their case online. The technology enables courts, attorneys, and those charged to work through the discovery stage and plea negotiation without appearing in court. OCR can also be used for post-resolution efforts like entering into a payment plan, collecting payments, and/or providing documentation of completing community service and relevant classes that may be part of the case outcome.

The potential impact of this work is significant. Based on JMI research, there are over 11,500 courts that have jurisdiction for more than 35.5 million traffic and misdemeanor cases per year. In other words, on average, up to 14% of adults living in the United States are likely to interact with a traffic or misdemeanor court every year.  OCR benefits people by providing increased access to the courts, making it easier to navigate the legal system, and enabling courts and attorneys to manage overwhelming caseloads and reduce delays. It also increases accountability to the public and builds a repository of information to promote evaluation, research, and transparency.

The OCR initiative has two primary goals. The first is to map traffic and misdemeanor jurisdictions and supporting technologies in each state. This groundwork will assist the OCR project team to bring the OCR platform into that jurisdiction or state. The second goal is for the OCR project team to work with two pilot courts, Missoula Municipal Court and North Las Vegas Justice Court, to write the requirements and adapt the OCR web-based platform design to their courts. The project is built on a pilot OCR project JMI has done with the Municipal and Traffic Court of New Orleans, with technical support from the New Jersey Administrative Office of the Courts, which built during the pandemic a traffic case resolution system for NJ municipal courts. Further, JMI has partnered with Kalamuna, an open-source application developer, to assist with the technical aspects of the project.

For more information, visit the OCR Initiative or contact Robin Wosje at robinw@jmijustice.org, or Tim Dibble, Vice President, at timd@jmijustice.org