The NCSC Model Time Standards for Appellate Courts are now available online. The project to revise time to disposition standards for appellate court cases, was funded by SJI, and was an initiative of the Conference of Chief Justices (CCJ) and the Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA).

Steered by a project committee of ten, including both current and former judges from different states, attorneys, and participants from the Conference of Chief Judges of the State Courts of Appeal (CCJSCA), the National Conference of Appellate Court Clerks (NCACC), and the American Bar Association (ABA), this 28-page report details history, need, structure, and application of model time standards for courts of last resort that are consistent with applicable laws, best practices, and guidelines regarding access to justice. The standards include in-depth analysis of data and surveying of appellate court judges across the U.S.

The project specifically focused on:

• case initiating events;
• explanation of discrete interim stages;
• publishing the results of time standards;
• benchmarking; and,
• standards for interim stages of an appeal.

In addition to the provision of a time standards model, the final report also emphasized the importance of measuring established time standards and resources that will aid in implementation. A full copy of the time standards can be downloaded from the NCSC Library’s e-collection (Digital Archive).