The SJI Board of Directors will be meeting on Monday, April 20, 2026, at 1:00 PM ET. The purpose of this meeting is to consider grant applications for the 1st quarter of FY 2026, and other business.
ADDRESS: Supreme Court of Delaware, Renaissance Center, 405 North King Street, Suite 500, Wilmington, DE.
A major national initiative is now underway to help state courts respond to escalating risks. Through NCSC’s Safer Courts project, courts will gain access to strengthened security practices, expert guidance, and training designed to help judges, staff, and the public stay safe. Supported by a State Justice Institute grant, Safer Courts will create standardized incident reporting and threat evaluation tools; update court security best practices and minimum standards; and publish training materials, assessment templates, and personal safety guides. A national convening in the fall will set the foundation for future phases of the project.
The initiative focuses on three critical priorities: strengthening courts’ ability to identify and respond to security threats, improving coordination among state and local court security partners, and clearly defining roles and responsibilities for protecting court facilities and personnel.
Safer Courts also aligns with growing national attention to judicial safety. It complements the Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act, bipartisan legislation passed by the U.S. Senate in November 2025 that is now before the U.S. House. If enacted, the legislation would establish a State Judicial Threat Intelligence and Resource Center to provide technical assistance, training, and monitoring of threats for state and local judges and court personnel.
The initiative also builds on “Securing Justice,” a COSCA policy paper outlining court security as a shared responsibility. The white paper was unanimously endorsed by CCJ.
Visit ncsc.org to explore current court security resources and follow updates on the Safer Courts Initiative.
Court users are increasingly using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to seek information and advice to navigate their legal issues. This guidance provides a framework to discuss AI use with court users while emphasizing accuracy, responsibility, and compliance with court rules. Court staff should familiarize themselves with their policy on providing legal information vs. legal advice (also known as a safe harbor policy) and make sure to provide guidance according to that governing policy.
Access and download the guide here: How to Talk to Your Court Users About AI.pdf | Powered by Box
As courts face increasing demands for data, the National Open Court Data Standards (NODS) are improving data quality and governance nationwide. Over the past five years, NCSC has worked to implement the National Open Court Data Standards (NODS) to establish business and technical standards to facilitate the sharing of standardized case-level data. The standards are intended to make data more accessible, understandable, and useful for the public, researchers, and justice system stakeholders. NODS is currently being adopted by at least 16 courts across multiple states, and an evaluation of the implementation shows great promise in helping courts ensure consistency and reduce the cost and effort required to respond to data requests.
Survey responses from 106 court professionals across 40 states, one territory, and the District of Columbia, informed the evaluation of the NODS implementation. Nearly 79% of respondents from implementing courts reported using NODS to establish data standards. More than half created a case-level data repository, and 57% reported improved data governance.
Supported by the Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA) and the State Justice Institute (SJI), NODS has been endorsed by COSCA, the National Association for Court Management (NACM), and the Joint Technology Committee (JTC).
Read the full National Open Court Data Standards Implementation Project Evaluation Report.
Docketing and case processing can be challenging in high-volume case types like debt collection, where courts may hear thousands, or even tens of thousands, of factually similar cases every year. In these cases, many defendants lack legal representation, and low appearance rates often lead to default judgments that may not serve justice or efficiently resolve disputes.
To overcome these challenges, the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) recently released, “Supporting Appearance: Docketing and Process Simplification Considerations for Debt Collection Cases,” to help courts implement practical process improvements in these cases.
The debt collection reform implementation toolkit offers guidance for implementing debt collection rules or reforms that create better access for all parties and increase procedural fairness. The supporting appearance toolkit offers practical changes courts can make to their scheduling, docketing, and hearing processes to support appearance and resolution in debt collection cases.
For more information and to read the full NCSC article: Putting consumer debt reforms into practice | National Center for State Courts.
The Rural Justice Exchange is a publication dedicated to advancing collaboration, innovation, and learning across the rural justice and behavioral health landscape. Each issue highlights emerging research, promising practices, and local success stories that reflect the unique strengths and challenges of rural communities. Through features such as articles, podcasts, webinars, and program spotlights, the Exchange showcases how practitioners, policymakers, and partners are working together to build resilient communities. Designed as a resource for rural leaders and practitioners, the Exchange connects readers to practical tools, evidence-based strategies, and peer experiences that inspire meaningful and sustainable change in rural systems.
View the February 2026 Edition here.
Seventy-six percent of state courts are limited jurisdiction courts serving local communities—often under-resourced and without the same access to modern technology as larger court systems.
To advance modernization and improve access to justice in these jurisdictions, the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) is launching a new initiative focused on applying AI tools to address long-standing structural challenges that limit efficiency, accessibility, and service quality in rural courts. The effort is supported by Microsoft, whose technology will inform potential solutions. The initiative aims to help close the digital divide facing the nation’s rural courts. “Because small and rural often sit at the intersection of the digital divide and legal deserts, this work carries significant implications for access to justice and equity,” said Nicole Waters, NCSC director of data, analytics, and forecasting. “Through this initiative, NCSC will work directly with courts to modernize operations and develop practical solutions that can be adapted by rural courts nationwide.”
Cohort courts
Four rural courts, or courts serving underrepresented communities, will be selected to participate in a hands-on, year-long process. NCSC will work closely with court staff to identify operational challenges and workflows that will guide the development and testing of AI-enabled solutions. NCSC will also provide training and technical assistance to support long-term sustainability.
“Microsoft has developed tools that may be useful for some of these jurisdictions when paired with the right guidance and implementation support,” Waters said. “NCSC’s role is to help courts assess what works, implement appropriate solutions, and share lessons learned more broadly.”
Apply to participate Courts can learn more about the opportunity during a March 10th webinar, “AI solutions for courts to address the digital divide,” at 3PM EST. Waters and staff from NCSC, joined by representatives from Microsoft, will share additional details about the initiative and application process. Participating courts are expected to be selected in May.
The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) offers a range of practical resources to help courts understand and adopt artificial intelligence responsibly, including a set of AI readiness materials that give courts a clear framework for assessing preparedness, identifying risks and opportunities, and planning for responsible implementation that was made possible through support from the State Justice Institute. These resources help court leaders understand where their organization stands today and outline concrete steps to build capacity, strengthen governance, and ensure that AI tools are used in ways that support fairness, transparency, and public trust. In addition to the AI readiness framework, NCSC provides guidance on topics such as document automation, data analytics, chatbots, and other emerging tools that can improve efficiency and access to justice. Courts can also explore policy guidance, national examples, and opportunities to learn from peers through ongoing webinars and collaborative forums.
Featured AI resources:
For more information on NCSC’s AI resources and the SJI-supported readiness materials, visit ncsc.org/ai.
Children, teens, and young adults often enter the justice system because their health, education, and safety needs aren’t met. As a result, justice systems are dealing with challenges they were never designed to address. The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center’s new research-based guide can help states prevent violence, expand opportunities, and keep youth out of the justice system. The Youth Safety Playbook for States includes a community-based service continuum, strategies for financing, infrastructure, policy, service, workforce, and a checklist for implementing each strategy This playbook is a product of the CSG Justice Center’s Collaborating for Youth and Public Safety Initiative (CYPSI), which partners with states to strengthen and scale research-based services and supports for youth and their families.
Access the playbook here: Youth Safety Playbook for States – CSG Justice Center
The SJI Board met on December 15th, 2025, and awarded 18 new grant applications totaling $2.0 million for the 1st quarter of FY 2026.
The Board awarded six (6) Strategic Initiative Grants (SIG) to: National Center for State Courts (NCSC), in partnership with the Conference of Chief Justices (CCJ) and the Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA for Phase I of a nationwide coordinated effort to develop modern expertise, tools, and updated best practices that can be adopted by all courts to improve the safety of court facilities and the public who use them; the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) to launch a training and technical assistance initiative on teen dating violence and domestic child sex trafficking as both independent and intersecting issues for courts and jurisdictions facing these issues; the NCSC for Phase II of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Readiness Initiative which will assist state developing and implementing their own AI governance structure as described in the SJI-funded AI Readiness Guide, update and expand the Guide based on courts’ experiences, and host an AI Readiness Lab for up to 15 courts; the Justice Management Institute, working with Kalamuna, Inc., for Phase II of the Online and Case Resolution (OCR) initiative by engaging new pilot courts in developing policy and implementation plans for OCR for traffic and misdemeanor cases, writing the requirements for OCR expansion across Louisiana, and planning and designing the OCR open-source online repository with access to the software and derivative applications; the NCSC and its partners for Phase II of the State Courts Role in Effective Justice for Young People Initiative to continue responding to request for technical assistance and developing court-based solutions to common barriers in administering justice to those aged 18-24; and Policy Research Associates to update a national scan of non-lawyer, non-legal programs across the U.S., develop and validate performance metrics for evaluating these programs, and implementation support to jurisdictions interested in evaluating their programs.
Three (3) Project Grants to: the National Association for Court Management (NACM) to develop and deliver nationally significant education programs, related material, and curricula with a continued focus on SJI’s Priority Investment Areas and the NACM Core®; the Washington Administrative Office of the Courts, in partnership with the Washington District and Municipal Court Judges’ Association to launch the Jurist in Residence program to ensure that every newly appointed or elected judge in courts of limited jurisdiction receives the mentorship, tools, and leadership needed to transition successfully into their role; and Four Corners Group, Inc., in partnership with the Cobb County, Georgia, Juvenile Court to deploy an intensive, multi-tiered support system that engages youth while in custody and reintegrates them in the school system to promote behavioral change and academic progression.
Nine (9) Technical Assistance Grant applications were awarded to: the Supreme Court of New Mexico to examine the possible use of authorized justice practitioners across the state, especially rural areas; the Coconino County, California, Superior Court for a strategic planning project; American University to support the National Judicial Network on human trafficking and the state courts; Santa Cruz County, California, Superior Court for a strategic planning initiative, the Supreme Court of Nevada and the Nevada Department of Human Services/Division of Child and Family Services for a youth justice system review; the Oregon Judicial Department for a case management assessment in Deschutes County; the Supreme Court of Virginia for a civic literacy and e-learning project; and the Cleveland, Ohio, Municipal Court to implement a Continuity of Operations Plan.
A Curriculum Adaptation and Training Grant was awarded to the National Conference of Appellate Court Clerks to support educational programming and seminars.
The next deadline for grant applications is February 1st, 2026 (2nd Quarter of FY 2026).