NCJ Number
189635
Journal
Governing Volume: 14 Issue: 9 Dated: June 2001 Pages: 40-42
Date Published
June 2001
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article discusses how courts are clearing civil-case backlogs through better court administration and use of modern technology.
Abstract
Court administration has come into its own as a serious profession, and computers have been a boon to jurists trying to impose sensible tracking systems on their workloads. In addition, some States now mandate alternative dispute resolutions for certain types of cases. They require lawyers to inform their clients that there are alternatives to a court fight, usually ones that involve working things out in front of an expert mediator. Other States are relying on magistrates to help keep ahead of mounting numbers of lawsuits. Magistrates are lawyers hired on contract to resolve less important cases. The magistrates' preliminary decisions must be upheld by a judge, but that is a formality in most cases. The article notes that judges do not share the natural collegiality with peers that is present in other professions and that fosters the sharing of ideas. Some judges now meet for "educational lunches" to discuss ideas about expediting cases.