Author: Lauren Curtis

October is #CybersecurityAwarenessMonth

Courts must also be prepared for cyberattacks on court systems, such as denial of service and ransomware attacks on court case management systems, websites, and other critical information technology infrastructure. SJI supports projects that assist courts in preparing for, and responding to, these attacks, and share lessons-learned to courts across the United States.

#Cybersecurity is one of SJI’s Priority Investment Areas. Take a look at some of our cybersecurity projects here: https://www.sji.gov/priority-investment-areas/cybersecurity/

Register now! Registration Now Open for Redesigning Legal Speaker Series: Exploring the Legal Tech Market

Register now! Redesigning Legal Speaker Series: Exploring the Legal Tech Market on October 10th, 2023, at 1:00PM EST.

As part of (IAALS) Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System‘s Redesigning Legal Speaker Series, on October 10th at 1:00PM EST, IAALS and its partners will explore how cutting-edge technology is shaping the future of law.

New technology is pushing the legal industry into the future faster than ever before. It will impact how lawyers practice, and how individuals and businesses will access legal services. These advancements can improve efficiency, reduce costs, and expand access to justice and legal services. However, they can also create new ethical concerns and the industry must remain on its toes to avoid unintended consequences.

This panel will feature Daniel Di Maria, Co-Founder and CRO at Spellbook, AI-powered legal automation and Bridget Mary McCormack, President & CEO, American Arbitration Association-International Centre for Dispute Resolution, whose conversation will be moderated by Damien Riehl, VP Solutions Champion.

Register here: Webinar Registration – Zoom

SJI Board Awards FY 2023 Fourth Quarter Grants

SJI received 14 grant applications requesting a total of $2,507,926 for the 4th quarter of FY 2023. The Board met on September 18, 2023, at the Supreme Court of Kansas to make decisions on those applications.

During its meeting, the Board awarded 5 Strategic Initiatives Grants: 1) the Legal Innovation and Technology Lab (the Lab) at Suffolk University Law School to create a national document assembly and e-filing service for use by state courts and legal non-profit organizations. The initiative will reduce the complexity faced by self-represented litigants (SRLs) and increase access to justice by providing the necessary infrastructure and developer support. Such a service and support will enable partner jurisdictions to create and operate open-source online guided interviews with e-filing integration; 2) the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) to build a network of courts that demonstrate exemplary use of data to provide significantly better outcomes for families and courts; 3) Policy Research Associates for a multi-phase project to determine the scope, mechanisms, and effectiveness of strategies and approaches that state civil and criminal courts are using to provide court-based non-legal aid to help people with unmet behavioral health needs better navigate the court system, and have their needs identified and addressed; 4) The NCSC, in partnership with the Conference of Chief Justices (CCJ) and Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA) to launch the National Task Force on Fines, Fees, and Pretrial Practices 2.0; and 5) a special award made from SJI’s Request for Applications process on fines and fees, which will enable the 19th Judicial District Court of Louisiana to work with the East Baton Rouge Parish’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council and the Justice Management Institute to develop and implement a high-functioning pretrial services agency.

Five (5) Technical Assistance Grant applications were awarded: 1) the Wyoming Supreme Court to contract with the NCSC to assist the Judicial Branch in its effort to launch a pilot navigator program in the Seventh Judicial District (Casper, Natrona County), and to implement meaningful self-help delivery in the operation of the courts; 2) Superior Court of Santa Barbara, California to to engage an expert consultant to assist in developing a strategic plan and direction for the Court; 3) The National Immigrant Women’s Advocacy Project at the American University/Washington College of Law, working in partnership with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges to further develop the National Judicial Network: Forum on Human Trafficking and Immigration in State Courts; 4) the New Hampshire Administrative Office of the Courts review court operations and priorities, identify opportunities for improvement, and  support the role of the Supreme Court as regulator of the legal profession; and 5) the Judiciary of Guam seeks support to contract with the NCSC to assist in its effort to manage and facilitate a strategic planning process to guide the delivery of justice to Guam.

Two (2) Curriculum Adaptation and Training Grants were awarded: 1) support to educate judges and other stakeholders during the National Interdisciplinary Cannabis Symposium, held from December 1st-3rd, 2023, in Portland, Oregon; and 2) the American Judges Association for judicial educational programming during the 2024 mid-year1 and annual meetings. The goal is to educate participants to strategies most recently identified as best practices to improve fair and equal access to civil and criminal justice.

The next deadline for grant applications is November 1, 2023 (FY 2024, 1st quarter).

Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts: Medical Debt Online Dispute Resolution Pilot

In 2020, the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) was awarded a State Justice Institute (SJI) Technical Assistance grant to retain the services of Catalis by Court Innovations, Inc. (Catalis) to assist the AOC with developing and implementing an online platform to resolve medical debt disputes in Hamilton County, TN, before a lawsuit is filed. The goal is to establish similar programs in other areas of the state. The ultimate goal is to establish a statewide platform for multiple types of debt collection.

The goal of the Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) medical debt pilot is to create an easy-to-understand application using technology, legal assistance, mediation and judicial resources to provide a model for pre-court filing resolution services. Such services would minimize burdens on the courts and enhance access to justice for the state’s citizens in a manner that is asynchronous and available 24/7. If successful, the pilot can serve as a desirable tool for claim resolution across the state in many areas of legal claims in addition to medical debt.

The platform was launched Fall 2020. Phase 1 of the pilot was completed December 31, 2021. Erlanger Health System sent 238 email ODR invites to individuals. Of those 238 people who had previously been unresponsive to Erlanger, 66 of them engaged Erlanger as a direct result of that ODR email invitation, resulting in an overall response rate of 28%. Currently, 300 cases have been uploaded to the platform. The Steering Committee’s goal for phase 2 is to present an update to the Tennessee General Sessions Court Winter Conference, January 2024. The update will include the case data generated from the new report form as well as a call for new hospitals and courts to join the pilot.

The FY 2023 4th Quarter SJI Board Meeting

The FY 2023 4th Quarter SJI Board meeting was held on September 18, 2023, at the Supreme Court of Kansas. The Board was joined by Stephanie Smith, State Court Administrator and Chief Justice Marla Luckert. Included below are images from the Kansas Judicial Center and the Kansas State Capital.

New Survey Results: 2023 CourtFutures Top Trends to Watch

National Association for Court Management‘s 2023 CourtFutures Top Trends to Watch: By NACM Respondents which lists the top trends identified from the survey. The survey captured so many critical challenges that courts are facing now and into the next ten years.

This year was NACM’s 12th survey since 2012. It garnered nearly 300 responses, looked at several new scenarios, and both updated and tracked some scenarios from previous years. For more information, please click on the PDF attachment below.

2023-Top-Trends-NACM Download

Upcoming Webinar: AI and the Impact on the Practice of Law

Upcoming Webinar! The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) will be hosting: AI and the Impact on the Practice of Law on September 21st, 2023, at 3:00PM EST.  The second webinar of The Promises and Perils of AI in the Courts Webinar Series. This second webinar will dive into important legal factors such as bias in AI, ethical and regulatory considerations, and the impact of AI on law firms. Register here.

How to Boost Court Turnout, Cut Pretrial Detention

Register today! Online Webinar Event on September 14th, 2023, at 1:00PM EST. Missed court appearances are leading causes of warrants and jail time in the U.S. Plus, they contribute to:

📊 Racial inequities in arrests
🕗 Pretrial process delays
💵 Huge court system costs

But this doesn’t have to be our reality. Sign up to get the latest research from experts—and their practical approaches to turning the tide.

Register here: Webinar Registration – Zoom

Trauma-Informed Practice Strategy Lab for Criminal Courts (TIPS Lab) Symposium

Register now! The Center for Justice Innovation (the Center) is pleased to announce an in-person Trauma-Informed Practice Strategy Lab for Criminal Courts (TIPS Lab) Symposium, funded by SJI, in Denver, Colorado on November 2-3, 2023, for practitioners, academics, and other stakeholders to share ideas, lessons learned, and discuss challenges to implementation of trauma-informed practices. This symposium will inform the development of a blueprint for implementation of practical strategies, which will include tools and a framework to assist courts in moving beyond training to sustained implementation.

The Symposium is scheduled for Thursday, November 2, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. to Friday, November 3, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. in Denver, Colorado at the Inverness Denver, a Hilton Golf & Spa Resort. This Symposium is funded by the State Justice Institute. This event is free to attend, and all attendee travel and hotel accommodations will be covered through federal grant funds. Participants must apply to attend and be approved by the Center before booking any travel or accommodations. Please click the link below to apply to attend the Symposium. In order to attend, each person interested in attending must click “apply to attend” below and complete the online form by 8:00 PM EST on September 15, 2023.

Trauma-Informed Practice Strategy Lab for Criminal Courts Symposium Tickets, Thu, Nov 2, 2023 at 9:00 AM | Eventbrite

If you have questions regarding attendance, please contact Alejandra Garcia, Associate Director of National Technical Assistance at garciaa@innovatingjustice.org. Please note that by completing this form, you are applying to attend the Symposium and acceptance is not guaranteed. If you are approved to attend, you will be contacted by Center staff and provided further information about hotel and travel.

Register here: Trauma-Informed Practice Strategy Lab for Criminal Courts Symposium Tickets, Thu, Nov 2, 2023 at 9:00 AM | Eventbrite

National Center for State Courts: Rural Justice Collaborative

Rural communities face unique challenges that impact their ability to deliver fair and equitable justice. Despite these challenges, rural communities rely on their many strengths to address the needs of their residents. In 2021, the National Center for State Courts, in partnership with Rulo Strategies, launched the Rural Justice Collaborative (RJC) to showcase the strengths of rural communities and highlight the cross-sector collaboration that is a hallmark of rural justice systems. These strengths include strong professional networks, deep ties to the communities they serve, resiliency, and ingenuity. A cross-sector Advisory Council composed of rural judges and stakeholders in the justice, public safety, child welfare, public health, and behavioral health systems guide the work of the RJC. The current Advisory Council is composed of ten rural judges and nine rural justice stakeholders representing diverse disciplines.

The RJC Innovation Sites are the foundation of the RJC’s peer-to-peer training and technical assistance program designed to build rural justice systems’ capacity. RJC Innovation sites showcase work in rural communities that enhances rural justice systems and celebrates the people who make these efforts possible. Through a rolling nomination process, the RJC’s Advisory Council has selected 18 rural innovation sites to date. Rural communities can access the resources and information needed to replicate components of these initiatives through case studies, webinars, and podcasts hosted on RJC’s Online Resource Center.

The RJC Digest is also an important source for information about resources and training opportunities. Subscribe to the RJC Digest here. For more information, contact Michelle Cern (mcern@ncsc.org).