Summary of State and Local Justice Initiatives 2000

USER-FRIENDLY COURTS

Trust and confidence in the courts is often shaped by the public’s personal experiences within the justice system. The level of service provided to the court user should ensure that the system is understandable, convenient, and easy to use. User-friendly court issues include things as simple as accurate, readable signage, waiting areas, parking availability, self-service centers, courthouse maps and guides to other services such as lawyer referral lists, handbooks for jurors, brochures for criminal defendants and offenders. Courts need to become more customer service oriented to meet the increased challenges caused by an ever-increasing number of those requiring court services.

Michigan’s Supreme Court continued to focus on the advancement of court reorganization, issues related to court management and innovations in local intergovernmental relations and communication with the public including striving to make the trial court system more user friendly for families through a constitutional amendment to merge Michigan’s circuit and probate courts and guarantee at least one judge per county to focus on family matters.

Hawaii courts feature a "Concierge" desk and customer service centers.

Kansas judicial and staff training efforts include customer service training for court clerks and, at the 2000 Judges Spring Conference, training on judicial community outreach.

An Oregon Active Access to Justice committee (including non-lawyers)provided improved interpreter services and certification for interpreters, training for new employees with an emphasis on strengthening customer service are some examples.

For further information contact the American Judicature Society, 312/558-6900, which published in 1996 a "User-Friendly Justice" booklet, the National Center for State Courts, 804/253-2000.

The plain-language Roadmap, "User-Friendly Courts – Customer Service in the Courthouse," provides valuable information and specific examples of projects and programs focused on user-friendly issues. Roadmaps are available through the ABA Office of Justice Initiatives, 312/988-6138, justice@abanet.org.