Earlier this year, the Self-Represented Litigation Network completed a thorough review of current court rules and practices with support from SJI.

The Remote Appearances of Parties, Attorneys and Witnesses, A Review of Current Court Rules and Practices, is a follow up report to Serving Self-Represented Litigants Remotely – A Resource Guide.  It presents the author’s conclusions about the current state of remote appearances in the United States based on his review of existing state statutes and federal, state and local court rules on the topic and discussions with knowledgeable persons throughout the country.”

The analysis includes benefits and disadvantages to appearing in court remotely, presumptive norms for court appearances, types of cases and proceedings in which remote appearances are permitted, necessary permissions, and technology standards and options.

Along with the report, two appendices were also included:

A detailed Compendium of Statutes and Court Rules Relating to Appearances of Parties, Lawyers and Witnesses in Court Proceedings; and,

The Use of Telephonic and Video Conferencing Technology in Remote Court Appearances assessment.