The SJI Board met on August 31, 2026, and approved 14 new grant applications for the 4th quarter of FY 2026.
The Board approved four (4) Strategic Initiative Grants (SIG) to: 1) the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System to launch a non-adversarial family law project to pivot family courts away from litigation past conflicts and toward a holistic process focused on healing, family well-being, efficiency, shared responsibility, and independent dispute resolution; 2) the Children’s Law Center, in partnership with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) and the Child’s Voice Project to further develop and promulgate best practices in children’s participation in family court proceedings; 3) the Council for State Governments (CSG) Justice Center, in partnership with the American Psychiatric Association Foundation, and the National Center for State Courts to expand and enhance the Judges and Psychiatrists Leadership Initiative, a national initiative that educates judges on behavioral health; and 4) the National Association for Court Management (NACM) to update the NACM CORE competencies to increase consistency across all NACM platforms, and create a new technology curriculum.
Five (5) additional state courts were awarded SIG grants to improve responses for emerging adults involved in the justice system. Alabama, Arizona, Hawaii, New Mexico and South Dakota were awarded grants totaling $500,000 for systems assessments, action planning, and implementation to support young people who enter juvenile or adult criminal courts. Previously state courts in California, Minnesota, Montana, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands were awarded similar grants. Each grant recipient will receive support from the Training and Technical Assistance Collaborative (TTAC) — which includes the NCSC, the NCJFCJ, the CSG, and the National Conference of State Legislatures.
A Project Grant was approved to the University of South Carolina School of Law Pro Bono Clinic to develop, pilot, evaluate, and disseminate court-aligned guided pathways for self-represented litigants in high volume civil case types that directly impact family stability, housing security, and economic well-being.
Five (5) Technical Assistance Grant applications were awarded to: 1) the Circuit Court of Allegany County, Maryland, for a strategic facility plan; 2) the Hawaii Judiciary to support a Legal Services Task Force focusing on legal deserts; 3) the Douglas County, Kansas, District Court for a strategic planning project; 4) the Mississippi Administrative Office of the Courts for a youth court and juvenile justice system transformation initiative; and 5) the District of Columbia Courts for a data governance policy project.
Three (3) Curriculum Adaptation and Training Grants were awarded to: 1) the Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts for an Adult Maltreatment Awareness Summit; 2) the Texas Association of Pretrial Services for a training program; and 3) the Oregon Judicial Department for probate and protective proceedings education.
The next deadline for grant applications is November 1, 2026 (1st Quarter of FY 2027).