Author: Lauren Curtis

Funded by the State Justice Institute, the National Center for State Courts, in partnership with Rulo Strategies LLC, launched the Rural Justice Collaborative (RJC) to showcase the strengths of rural communities and highlight the cross-sector collaboration that is a hallmark of rural justice systems. These strengths include strong professional networks, deep ties to the communities they serve, resiliency, and ingenuity. The Rural Justice Collaborative is guided by an advisory council of rural practitioners representing the judiciary, public safety, behavioral health, public health, child welfare, victim services and other stakeholder-focused justice systems. The advisory council guides the initiative and has focused initial efforts on advancing innovation, promoting collaboration, and raising awareness of rural justice system needs.

SJI received fourteen (14) grant applications requesting a total of $1,285,848 for the 2^nd quarter of FY 2025.

The Board awarded four (4) Strategic Initiative Grants to: the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) to further develop the Court Recruitment System – a state court clerkship application portal; the Institute for Intergovernmental Research for ongoing support to the Reaching Rural: Advancing Collaborative Solutions initiative; the NCSC, in partnership with the Conference of State Court Administrators/National Association for Court Management Joint Technology Committee, Court Information Technology Officers Consortium, and the Integrated Justice Information Systems Institute to engage courts and technology vendors in open discussions about common challenges in working together on technology projects, and identify strategies to mitigate those challenges; and the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System to launch a national initiative to address how best to provide legal services to self-represented litigants in high stakes/high risks cases.

One (1) Project Grant was awarded to the Missouri Office of State Courts Administrator to assist local courts with developing Continuity of Operations Plans.

Six (6) Technical Assistance Grant applications were awarded: the Kansas Supreme Court for local strategic planning projects; the National Association for Presiding Judges and Court Executive Officers for educational programming; the City of Beaverton, Oregon, Municipal Court for a caseflow and case management system assessment; the District of Columbia Courts for an interactive web system for the Court of Appeals; the Superior Court of Mohave County, Arizona for a strategic planning process; and the New Mexico Administrative Office of the Courts for an organizational assessment. 

Three (3) Curriculum Adaptation and Training Grants were awarded: the Montana Supreme Court to support educational programming for limited jurisdiction judges during the Montana Judicial Institute; the Council of Chief Judges of the State Courts of Appeal for educational programming; and the National Association of State Judicial Educators for training programs that enhance judicial education. 

The next deadline for grant applications is May 1, 2025.

The FY 2025 2nd Quarter SJI Board Meeting was held this week on Monday, April 7th, 2025, at the Supreme Court of Indiana, in Indianapolis, IN. SJI Executive Director, Jonathan Mattiello, Senior Program Advisor, Michelle White, and members of the SJI Board were joined by Chief Justice Loretta Rush, of the Supreme Court of Indiana.

#SJIBoardofDirectors #SJIBoard #StateJusticeInstitute #BoardMeeting #SupremeCourtofIndiana

For survivors of domestic violence, obtaining a protection order can be daunting. Fear, confusion, limited resources, and the ongoing threat posed by their abusers often prevent individuals from seeking help through the court system.

The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) is working to improve the civil protection order process by making it more accessible, efficient, and fair using secure, user-friendly virtual portals with support from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women.

“Survivors needing protection shouldn’t have to navigate a complex or intimidating process,” said Sarah Vandenberg Van Zee, NCSC court management consultant and project manager. “Through this project, we’re developing national guidance to enhance virtual court portal technology to uphold safety, accessibility, and due process in cases involving domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.”

Learning collaborative

This project brings together a learning collaborative that includes technologists, access-to-justice leaders, and experienced courts from Arizona, Kansas, and Indiana that have successfully implemented innovative e-filing and portal systems.

Vandenberg Van Zee explained that portals can do more than facilitate document filing; they can also serve as centralized platforms where all parties can complete necessary tasks, access resources, and receive timely case updates.

Seeking pilot courts

To further develop and refine best practices for portal technology, NCSC is seeking learner courts—jurisdictions interested in piloting the recommended guidance established by this project—to join the learning collaborative.

Selected courts will receive hands-on technical assistance to implement or enhance court portal technology to:

• Support survivor safety
• Enhance access to justice and the user experience
• Work with national experts
• Contribute to national best practices/guidance

For more information: Civil Protection Order Portal Technical Assistance Project | VAWA

Read the full article here: Civil protection order portal project aims to improve process for survivors of domestic violence | NCSC

A new report, Preserving the Future of Juries and Jury Trials, offers strategies to combat these critical challenges that threaten the existence and legitimacy of our jury system while also suggesting strategic solutions to preserve its future.

“We need to take action, or we risk losing a living component of justice,” warns Paula Hannaford-Agor, director of NCSC’s Center for Jury Studies. “This report is a starting point for continued conversations about where we need to go to strengthen jury trials.”

The report identifies four key vulnerabilities and outlines a plan to preserve and improve the jury system:

• ⚬ Foster Public Education and Engagement About the Jury System
• ⚬ Focus on the Juror-Centered Experience
• ⚬ Increase Capacity and Incentives for Jury Trials
• ⚬ Identify and Address Disparities Between Values and Practices

Access the report here: Preserving the Future of Juries and Jury Trials