Category: News And Announcements

The SJI Board of Directors met virtually on August 31, 2020 to make decisions on quarterly grant applications, and approved a total of 15 new grants. 

Ten (10) Strategic Initiatives Grants were approved in support of SJI’s Pandemic Response and Recovery Request for Applications (RFA).  More information about these innovative projects will be released soon.  SJI received over $4.8 million in applications for the RFA in the first round.  SJI is now accepting applications on a rolling basis.  Potential applicants are encouraged to closely review the requirements.  Visit the Virtual Learning section of the Funding Toolkit for State Courts and Justice System Partners to learn more about SJI funding, including a podcast about this funding opportunity. Email contact@sji.gov with questions regarding this solicitation.

Five (5) Technical Assistance Grants were approved: the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts to develop and implement a pilot Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) platform to resolve medical debt disputes in Hamilton County; the Iowa Judicial Branch to implement a landlord/tenant ODR pilot in Story County; the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) to provide technical assistance to several jurisdictions that will assess the quality of master jury lists, including inclusiveness, representativeness, and record accuracy; the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts to provide a specialized online orientation video for the Custody and Visitation Mediation Program in both English and Spanish; and the New Hampshire Supreme Court for the redevelopment and design overhaul of the Judiciary’s website. 

The next deadline for grant applications is November 1, 2020 (FY 2021, 1^st Quarter). 

January 2020 marked the start of the Oregon Judicial Department’s two-year Strategic Campaign, developed with SJI support and technical assistance provided by the National Center for State Courts (NCSC).

This new approach, recommended by the NCSC and focused on identifying short-term, achievable goals – appealed to Chief Justice Martha L. Walters and State Court Administrator Nancy J. Cozine.  The campaign, as opposed to a longer-term strategic plan, spans 2020-2021 and employs a more flexible and open-ended methodology to mobilize judges, court staff, and justice partners in the development of vital improvement themes and initiatives.  This revised approach reflects the reality that courts often need to pivot quickly in the changing landscapes of social welfare, budget challenges, and local and national policy priorities.

To develop the campaign, the Judiciary engaged in a four-month process of gathering stakeholder input, starting with the creation of a Strategic Campaign Advisory Committee, comprised of judges and administrators from across this state.  Working with consultants, the committee developed an engagement and outreach plan to learn where the Judiciary should focus its efforts in the coming years.  This resulted in numerous focus groups and outreach meetings with a variety of stakeholders – judges, staff, public defenders, prosecutors, family law attorneys, legal aid leaders, civil practitioners, businesses, state and local government agencies, Bar leadership, and others.  The feedback was then presented and discussed at a two-day summit where more than 40 judges and administrators considered where the Judiciary should focus its energy and resources over the next two years.

Four key themes emerged, which became commitments to the people of Oregon, and all who encounter the state justice system:

1. We will join with community partners to improve services and outcomes for people who are underserved, vulnerable, or marginalized; and we will develop effective, supportive, and creative solutions to respond to their legal needs.
2. We will improve access to justice by eliminating barriers; continuing to simplify and streamline our processes and forms; enhancing service options; leveraging technology; improving interpreter services; and advocating for resources to keep courts open, safe, and secure.
3. We will enhance the public’s trust and confidence in Oregon’s state government, including the judicial branch, by listening and responding to the needs of those we serve; holding ourselves to high standards; and communicating the role of our courts in providing justice for all.
4. We will create a workplace and courthouse culture that is supportive, inclusive, welcoming, and affirming; that embraces diversity; and where all people can thrive and are treated with respect and dignity.

Each of these commitments is supported by several initiatives designed to carry the goals forward, led by judges and administrators from all over the state.  “We face many challenges in our constant effort to provide justice for all Oregonians,” said Chief Justice Walters.  “It is my hope that, by undertaking specific commitments and initiatives, we can better address those challenges, increase public trust and confidence in our courts, and improve our services for all.”

This two-year campaign approach proved to be the correct course as Oregon’s judicial branch soon found itself facing unapparelled circumstances in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, rising social and economic disparity, and the renewed demands for justice.  This required some retooling of these initiatives and, fortunately, the campaign structure allowed for needed modifications.

While some of the initiatives may take more time, as new budget challenges and cuts to programs loom on the horizon, nearly all have been launched, finding renewed purpose in this time of change.  For example, the initiative team to advance fairness in the imposition and collection of court fines and fees sprang into action, providing immediate relief from collections for those who found themselves suffering from economic hardship during the pandemic.  The Judiciary’s efforts to emphasize diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in the court system led to the rapid development of staff conversations and trainings during the pandemic.  The increased demand for remote hearings brought new focus on building technological tools, accessible forms, and best practices for court participation from remote locations.

For questions about this project, or to learn more, please contact Erin M. Pettigrew, Access to Justice Counsel, at Erin.M.Pettigrew@ojd.state.or.us.

The National Juvenile Defender Center (NJDC) is pleased to announce the release of its most recent assessment, Undervalued: An Assessment of Access to and Quality of Juvenile Defense Counsel in New Hampshire.  It is a thorough examination of New Hampshire’s juvenile defense delivery system. 

The report was featured in New Hampshire’s largest paper, the Union Leader, and represents the culmination of an 18-month process of research, site visits, data analysis, writing, editing, and stakeholder outreach.

The assessment found that an absence of dedicated juvenile defense practitioners in New Hampshire leads to many youth waiving their rights and facing long-term consequences.  Nearly every aspect of the defense system is set up to devalue juvenile delinquency cases, often leading to youth receiving constitutionally deficient counsel.

This report is the 26th state assessment NJDC has released.  Every previous NJDC assessment report has spurred reforms in states juvenile defense systems.  The NJDC encourages the New Hampshire Judiciary to consider:

• Implementing a strong, well-resourced, specialized system of juvenile defense.
• Establishing and supporting juvenile defense leadership and requiring specialization in juvenile defense.
• Establishing state standards for juvenile defense attorney qualifications and performance.
• Automatically appointing counsel for all youth prior to their first court appearance and ensuring youth are represented throughout their involvement in the juvenile legal system.

All NJDC’s state assessments can be found online.

The National Center for State Courts, in partnership with Rulo Strategies, is launching a Rural Justice Collaborative (RJC). The RJC is seeking nominations for Advisory Committee members, as well as for cross-sector programs or initiatives based in rural communities that involve courts and stakeholders in the justice, child welfare, and behavioral health systems. 

The National Association for Court Management’s (NACM) first-ever Virtual Education Program and Expo is underway and runs through October.  Earlier this summer, NACM’s leadership made the difficult decision to cancel their in-person annual meeting.

With nearly 40 sessions planned, NACM did not want the court professional community to miss out on the opportunity to receive this educational content. With the generous support of the State Justice Institute (SJI), they moved nearly all of the sessions online, to a 10-week free educational series offered each Thursday afternoon regardless of NACM membership. The series will consist of both live and recorded sessions, along with unique networking events and a virtual expo.

Now, more than ever, courts are CONNECTED.  As an institution, courts are part of the local, state, and national community.  As such, courts must be connected to their communities.  This necessitates that courts are part of the conversation on numerous important issues from substance abuse to mental health.  Courts must be involved on issues of reform, all the while working with other branches of government and their communities to ensure access to justice.

The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) and the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) developed an innovative training curriculum and faculty guide – along with practical tools – to help state courts establish and manage business court dockets more efficiently and effectively.  The curriculum was developed as part of the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Business Court Docket Pilot Project.

That project was established in 2015 to address complex corporate and commercial cases in a specialized manner.  In 2018, SJI awarded a grant to the Tennessee AOC and NCSC to develop and implement a training curriculum to help expand commercial dockets across the nation.

A wide variety of litigants have requested to transfer to the specialized docket ranging from large, multi-national companies, to small businesses, said Tennessee Administrative Director of the Courts Deborah Taylor Tate.  The specialized court docket has handled business topics ranging from contract interpretation, to corporate e-discovery, to “business divorces,” to trade secrets and intellectual property.   

 “In addition to assisting the business and corporate sector by providing a specialized docket to address complex business disputes, it also helps cases involving citizens of our state by inserting efficiencies into the system and allowing more time for cases on other dockets,” said Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Jeffrey Bivins.

One of the main goals of business court dockets is to provide businesses with more predictable answers and expedite the resolution of disputes, saving time and money for litigants as well as the court system.  Feedback from litigant surveys has been overwhelmingly positive, with participants reporting a success rate of more than 90 percent.

Tate said the SJI grant allowed Tennessee – in cooperation with other business court judges – “to build on these successful strategies to create a blueprint for other states embarking on the creation of their own business court dockets…we hope this will become a regular way to share innovative ideas across state lines and across branches of government.”

In October 2019, the reconstituted Illinois Judicial Conference (IJC), comprised of 15 judicial officers and 14 non-judges and chaired by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, unveiled an inaugural 3-year Strategic Agenda for the Illinois Judicial Branch.  Implementation commenced in December 2019.  Eight newly formed Task Forces along with several existing Committees/Commissions began working on 15 strategic initiatives identified as highest priorities for the first year of implementation.  The 15 initiatives span the Branch’s five strategic goals, which are:

• Accessible Justice and Equal Protection under the Law.
• Procedural Fairness, Timeliness, and Operational Efficiency.
• Professionalism and Accountability throughout the Judicial Branch.
• Understanding of and Confidence in the Judicial Branch.
• Sufficient Funding and Effective Use of Judicial Branch Resources.

Despite the disruption and hardships caused by the pandemic, the work of the Task Forces and Committees continues.  In June 2020, during a virtual IJC meeting, two Task Forces presented their completed reports and recommendations to the IJC.  The reports and recommendations were unanimously referred to the Supreme Court for review and appropriate action.

While these are indeed challenging times, it also is an exciting time for the Illinois Judicial Branch.  The many dedicated Task Force members and staff of the Administrative Office of the Courts continue to meet virtually, and are well on their way to accomplishing their respective initiatives amid the pandemic.

The Strategic Agenda and At-a-Glance Operational Plan (showing the list of strategic initiatives and Task Force/existing body assignments) is available online.

For more information, contact Alison Spanner, Director of Strategic Planning at aspanner@IllinoisCourts.gov or Chris Bonjean, Communications Director to the Illinois Supreme Court at 312.793.2323 or cbonjean@illinoiscourts.gov.

The SJI Board of Directors met virtually on June 29, 2020, to make decisions on quarterly grant applications, and approved two new grants to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Strategic Initiatives Grant was awarded to the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) to support Phase I of the Conference of Chief Justices/Conference of State Court Administrators (CCJ/COSCA) Post Pandemic Planning Initiative.  For this new initiative, the Pandemic Rapid Response Team (RRT) – a group of chief justices and state court administrators established in March 2020 by CCJ and COSCA, is creating a roadmap to help state courts move forward during the COVID-19 pandemic – and after it ends.  SJI provided initial emergency funding to launch the RRT.

The RRT is cataloging state court actions to address the pandemic.  Webinars that have already been conducted included discussions, presentations and focus on remote hearings, appellate court challenges, Family First Response to COVID-19, jury considerations, courthouse facility considerations, budget and finance issues, personnel issues, and others.  All webinars were taped, disseminated and remain available on the NCSC website for continuing education and reference. These archived pandemic webinars have been viewed over 9,500 times to date.  

The RRT established a series of working groups that will determine what courts have learned, how to resume court operations, and what they can do beyond to build a stronger judiciary.  The working groups are focusing six areas: 1) court management – criminal; 2) court management – civil; 3) court management – children, families, and elders; 4) appellate; 5) technology; and 6) communications.  Through this process, the RRT quickly recognized that courts would very soon need mid- and post-pandemic tools and deliverables to assist in all areas.  The RRT has developed a framework with a mission, the working groups, and an approach or deliverables called the Post-Pandemic Planning Initiative (PPPI).  Each working group includes CCJ and COSCA members, trial court judges and administrators, other court partners, an NCSC lead staff person for organization and coordination, and other NCSC topic experts to assist with the work plan development and final deliverables.  The working groups are tasked with identifying what the “new normal” is going to look like, and how to get there.

A Technical Assistance Grant was awarded: to the National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ) to provide judges and other legal professionals with expert assistance via webinar, podcasts, and other media that will address the issues of maintaining access to justice during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.  Like previous educational programs, NAWJ will use the expertise of its members and non-members to create these resources.

The next deadline for grant applications is August 1, 2020 (4^th Quarter FY 2020). 

SJI’s Funding Toolkit for State Courts and Justice System Partners is designed to support local courts, state courts, and their justice system partners as they pursue federal and philanthropic funding opportunities.

The toolkit has a new virtual learning section that features webinars and podcasts designed to aid applicants in the grant process. The inaugural podcast in the Court ¢ents series features Jonathan Mattiello, Executive Director of SJI, discussing SJI’s funding opportunities.

Or follow SJI on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and look for the Court ¢ents icon highlighting the latest posting. Send your funding and grant questions, as well as your ideas for topics to address with webinars and podcasts to fundingtoolkit@sji.gov.

The National Council of Family and Juvenile Court Judges (NCJFCJ) held the Second National Summit on Courts and Military-Connected Families September 23-24, 2019, at Fort Knox, Kentucky.

The one-and-a-half-day Summit brought together members and staff of the military-related committees of the NCJFCJ, subject matter experts, representatives of national-level organizations that serve military-connected families, stakeholders with local and state government and nonprofit organizations, and members of the civilian and military communities of two demonstration sites selected for this SJI-funded project.  The Summit’s purpose was to advance the national discussion by those who engage with justice-involved service members, National Guard, Reserve, and veteran populations on how best to assist when they interface with juvenile and family courts.  The Summit was a focused and targeted “deep dive” into the realities of the information and practices needed to promote effective court/military systems communication and collaboration.  SJI Board Chair Chief Justice John Minton from Kentucky gave opening remarks. 

The Summit report is available on the NCJFJC website.