Funded by the State Justice Institute, the National Center for State Courts, in partnership with Rulo Strategies LLC, 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. The Rural Justice Collaborative is guided by an advisory council of rural practitioners representing the judiciary, public safety, behavioral health, public health, child welfare, victim services and other stakeholder-focused justice systems. The advisory council guides the initiative and has focused initial efforts on advancing innovation, promoting collaboration, and raising awareness of rural justice system needs.
A new data literacy course, funded by SJI, is in development to help build future-ready courts and meet the growing demand for court data expertise. Courts will soon have a new tool to support staff who use and communicate with data to generate insights and optimize performance. The data literacy course will help build future-ready courts and meet the growing demand for court data expertise.
The curriculum, which will be tested and refined over the next few months, covers the data lifecycle, court statistics, data visualization, ethics, and governance. A national online launch is anticipated in 2026.
“Data literacy is a core skill for today’s court professional,” said Nicole Waters, NCSC’s director of data, analytics, and forecasting. “Working with data is not just a technical skill, but a fundamental skill that helps court personnel meaningfully contribute to decision-making and improve data quality throughout all court processes.”
The course is designed for three key audiences:
Court administrators who need to request, read, and interpret data to gain actionable insights from reports.
New hires in research and data offices who must quickly understand the unique challenges of state court data.
Court staff seeking to strengthen their skills in processing and utilizing data for daily operations.
The inspiration for the course came after NCSC worked with the Orange County (California) Superior Court on a curriculum to help staff with limited data experience assist the court with an increased volume of data requests. Over time, NCSC principal court research associate and project lead Diane Robinson said the team identified similar needs across the country and began developing a national curriculum for online delivery.
Resources available now
In the meantime, NCSC continues to provide data resources, including the expert-led “Data Dives” webinar series, the semi-annual in-person Data Specialists and IT Summit, and quarterly virtual meetings for data specialists, where court professionals discuss key data challenges and innovations. Courts can access current resources to improve their court data at ncsc.org/data.
The Nebraska Administrative Office of the Courts and Probation has collaborated with local trial judges, attorneys, and court staff to pilot a court-based Self-Help Center in Douglas County (Omaha, Nebraska). The first of its kind in Nebraska, this self-help center is located in the courthouse and provides on-site access to computers, printers, and legal resources during regular courthouse hours. The self-help center is supported by trained court staff who assist self-represented litigants (SRLs) by explaining court rules and procedures, providing public information about case dockets and calendars, and directing patrons to available court forms and legal information. Preliminary survey data captured from patrons using the Douglas County Self-Help Center is positive, with 84% responding that they received the help they needed. The most frequent requests involve assistance with court forms, explaining court processes, and printing documents.
A key component of this project involved identifying the civil case types with consistently high numbers of SRLs, and developing case packets that include step-by-step instructions, plain language court forms, and basic guidelines on how to present evidence and testimony in court. These case packets will be available in both English and Spanish and will be housed on the Nebraska Supreme Court’s public website where they can be accessed by court users and court staff statewide. Translation of the case packets is provided by court interpreter partners using a scaffolded process developed by the Director of Language Access that has the potential to positively impact courtrooms statewide.
“The law promises ‘equal justice’ in the courts. However, many self-represented litigants feel frustrated with the legal process because they are unaware of all the legal practices and procedures required. The self-help center is designed to provide guidance and education to those who represent themselves as they navigate legal filings, court appearances, and presenting evidence. Both litigants and the courts benefit when the process is understood, and expectations are met.“
-Judge Stephanie Hansen, County Court, Douglas County
“We’re using translation projects as a strategic tool for skill building—giving interpreters the opportunity to deepen their vocabulary, refine their writing, and engage critically with legal concepts in both languages. It’s a meaningful form of professional development that strengthens their work in the courtroom.“
The SJI Board of Directors will be meeting on Monday, September 15, 2025, at 1:00 PM MT. The purpose of this meeting is to consider grant applications for the 4th quarter of FY 2025, and other business.
ADDRESS: Supreme Court of Montana, Mazurek Building, 215 North Sanders Street, Helena, MT.
New report offers phased approach to responsibly harness AI and expand access to justice
The IAALS, the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System at the University of Denver, has just released a new report. Regulating AI in the Delivery of Consumer-Facing Legal Services: Unlocking Legal Regulation outlines a clear and actionable framework for how the legal profession can respond to the rise of artificial intelligence tools already being used by the public to navigate legal issues.
Amid a growing access to justice crisis—where most low- and middle-income Americans still cannot get legal help when they need it—Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools present both a challenge and an opportunity. While the legal community has debated how AI might affect lawyers, judges, and the profession itself, far less attention has been paid to how AI is changing the experience for everyday people trying to understand their rights, resolve disputes, and access the courts.
“Generative AI is already reshaping how people seek legal help, but our regulatory system hasn’t kept pace,” said Jessica Bednarz, IAALS’ Director of Legal Services and the Profession. “We can’t afford to ignore these tools or overregulate them into irrelevance. This report offers a clear, measured path forward that protects consumers while allowing innovation to thrive.”
The report acknowledges the real risks that come with AI, including concerns around accuracy, accountability, privacy, and bias. At the same time, it highlights AI’s transformative potential to scale legal information, advice, and services in ways the traditional system has failed to deliver. If developed responsibly, these tools could become a powerful force in closing the justice gap.
“We’re facing both a crisis and a breakthrough,” said Jeff Ward, Director of the Duke Center on Law & Tech. “Responsible AI might help close the justice gap, but only if we reimagine our regulatory systems. IAALS’ phased approach shows how we can act with both urgency and care to create an environment where trustworthy legal tools can flourish.”
The phased approach begins with a focus on experimentation, education, and consumer protection, while continuing to gather data and evaluate how people use these tools. The second phase, contemplated for the future, would involve more formal regulation based on what is learned. This thoughtful process is designed to encourage innovation while keeping consumer needs and public trust at the forefront.
The report stems from IAALS’ November 2024 convening of leaders from across the legal, regulatory, and technology communities. Participants explored the tension between outdated regulatory frameworks and modern tools that are increasingly used by people without lawyers. In particular, the group examined how unauthorized practice of law rules often have a chilling effect on legal aid organizations, courts, and entrepreneurs who are trying to serve self-represented litigants.
IAALS and the Duke Center on Law & Tech also hosted a follow-up webinar series—AI, Access to Justice & UPL: Shaping the Future of Legal Services—to continue the conversation and explore key themes from the convening in greater depth. You can watch the recordings here. In addition, a workshop series focused on developing non-prosecution policies for regulating AI in consumer-facing legal services will follow this fall.
Funded by the State Justice Institute, the National Center for State Courts, in partnership with Rulo Strategies LLC, 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. The Rural Justice Collaborative is guided by an advisory council of rural practitioners representing the judiciary, public safety, behavioral health, public health, child welfare, victim services and other stakeholder-focused justice systems. The advisory council guides the initiative and has focused initial efforts on advancing innovation, promoting collaboration, and raising awareness of rural justice system needs.
The National Center for State Courts, in cooperation with the ABA Commission on Law and Aging (COLA) and the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) created technology and data standards for court case management systems for guardianship and conservatorship cases. Most case management systems are designed to track cases from filing to disposition. However, courts are required to monitor guardianship and conservatorship cases for as long as the guardianship or conservatorship is in place.
NCSC, ABA-COLA, and NDRN brought together a group of subject matter experts from around the country to discuss what courts need to effectively monitor the well-being and financial assets of those subject to guardianship or conservatorship. These experts included guardians, subject matter experts from state administrative offices of the courts, representatives from local courts, CMS vendors, and attorneys. The group used reviews of existing CMS systems, surveys, and focus groups to develop detailed user stories to describe the needs of judicial officers, court staff, guardians and conservators, and those subject to guardianship and conservatorship. These user stories were the basis for new standards.
Join in for the introduction of Right Services, Right Time – an initiative that offers family courts practical tools and targeted support to handle even the most complex cases.
What if families facing a crisis could receive support before entering the court system? In 2019, the National Center for State Courts received funding to identify promising practices in state and local courts that aim to prevent removal through non-adversarial collaborative team approaches and timely access to treatment and services. The Family Preservation Initiative (FPI) in Rutherford County, Tennessee was one of the standout programs identified.
FPI transforms how communities support families by intervening before circumstances escalate to court involvement. When families experience challenges likely to result in a juvenile court petition, FPI staff step in to build relationships, learn about each family’s unique strengths and needs, and connect them to resources and services. This individualized approach keeps children safely with their families while providing the entire family with the support needed to overcome obstacles.
Referrals come from law enforcement, schools, community organizations, and families themselves. Families involved in FPI are not under court supervision; however, the court’s backbone support for the program helps build and sustain community partnerships essential for its success. By intervening early, FPI prevents family separation, minimizes trauma, and provides crucial support when families need it most. The documentary, “Together We Thrive: Championing Prevention Efforts with Tennessee’s Family Preservation Initiative,” offers a powerful look at FPI through the eyes of the families and professionals involved in the program. Their stories demonstrate how family-centered and prevention-focused approaches can create positive changes for children, families, and communities.
“What we really hope is that this would become the new norm, that this wouldn’t be just a pilot or a program or in a few places dotted around the county. But this would become the way that people want to intervene much sooner so that children never become part of the system.”
-Deborah Taylor Tate, Former Director, Tennessee Administrative Office of Courts
Date: Friday, July 18th, 2025
Time: 12:00PM EST
Register Here: Family-Centered Fridays: Right Services, Right Time – Promising practices for family courts | National Center for State Courts
Open to court professionals, justice partners, and anyone working to improve access to justice.
