Summary of State and Local Justice Initiatives 2000

Commissions on the "Futures" of the Courts

Futures commissions are bodies established by state supreme courts to examine long-term possible future scenarios for the justice system and to make plans to meet those alternate futures. Court Futures commissions have been encouraged and supported by the State Justice Institute. These bodies include non-lawyers in addition to judges and lawyers and are usually in existence for 2-3 years before issuing a report.

Three commissions have issued reports since publication of the 1999 Summary: Ohio, Pennsylvania and Vermont, bringing to 20 the number of state reports in recent years. Eight commissions were in progress as of May 2000 and two were under consideration. The total is 30. (This represents an increase from 29 last year in that George is counted as having issued a report and as continuing Futures activity. For the status of specific states see the "Justice Initiatives Noted" table.)

The Tennessee Supreme Court continued implementation of eight of the recommendations of the 1996 report of its futures commission. The 1992 report of the Massachusetts Futures Commission was the spark for the expanding "reinventing justice" projects in that state. Legislation implementing a recommendation from the 1996 report of the North Carolina Futures Commission creating a State Judicial Council was passed in February 2000.

These numbers reflect the reports received from the bar associations and state supreme courts responding to the 2000 and earlier surveys of the ABA Committee on State Justice Initiatives. For a general look at court long range planning efforts, including but not limited to futures commissions reported here, see "Long-range Planning in State Courts: Process, Product and Impact" by Donald C. Dahlin, Professor, Department of Political Science, University of South Dakota, in Justice System Journal, Vol. 17 No. II (1994).

For additional information contact the ABA Office of Justice Initiatives, 312/988-6138, fax 312/988-6100, justice@abanet.org, or the American Judicature Society, 312/558-6900.