State Courts
A Finer Point
Paws for Justice
by Patti Clark
Vol. 109 No. 2 (2025) | Communicating to the People“Court can be ruff,” as they say at the Jackson County, Ill., courthouse where Charlie, a goldendoodle therapy dog, is helping ease courtroom anxiety and make the judicial process smoother. […]
Briefs
Pew survey examines experiences with, perceptions of state courts
by Ruth Rosenthal and Erika Rickard
Vol. 109 No. 2 (2025) | Communicating to the PeopleThroughout the country, people rely on state and local courts to resolve a wide variety of issues, from traffic tickets and divorces to debt cases and shoplifting charges.1 These interactions can […]
Feature
Staying Safe: Five Steps Judges Can Take Now
by Ron Zayas
Vol. 109 No. 1 (2025) | Celebrating a Decade at DukeJudges have always been subject to scrutiny, second-guessing, and threats. But as Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. noted in his 2024 year-end report, the U.S. Marshals Service has reported […]
Briefs
New Poll Shows Public Trust in State Courts on the Rise
Vol. 108 No. 3 (2025) | Problem-Solving CourtsMore American voters are expressing trust and confidence in America’s state courts, according to the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) annual State of the State Courts public opinion poll. […]
Briefs
Record Relief: Considerations for State Courts
by Andrea Miller, Nikole Hotchkiss and Jennifer K. Elek
Vol. 108 No. 2 (2024) | Judges Under Siege?Roughly 1 in 3 American adults (about 80 million people) has a criminal record, and 2.7 million households receive an eviction filing each year. These court records create barriers to […]
Traffic Court (In)Justice
Vol. 108 No. 1 (2024) | Harnessing AI for JusticeIf you have ever represented yourself in court, it may have been in traffic court. You likely brought (or tried to bring) your lawyerly skills to bear. In the process, […]
Perspective
Bringing Home the Bill of Rights
Vol. 108 No. 1 (2024) | Harnessing AI for JusticeI am honored to be the 30th chief justice of the state of North Carolina and to have served on my state’s highest court since 2004. I’ve also practiced law, […]
Feature
Outside the Box: How States Are Increasing Access to Justice Through Evidence-Based Regulation of the Practice of Law
by Rebecca L. Sandefur and Lucy Ricca
Vol. 108 No. 1 (2024) | Harnessing AI for JusticeA new approach to bringing people access to justice “centers the justice experiences of ordinary people, rather than the structure or staffing of justice institutions, the elements of legal families, […]
Briefs
States Move to Protect Judges’ Safety
Vol. 108 No. 1 (2024) | Harnessing AI for JusticeOver the past three years, state legislatures have introduced a large influx of bills addressing the need to protect judges, court staff, and their families. In 2024 alone, more than […]
Briefs
The Unclear and Uneasy Role of State Courts in Implementing Federal Policy
Vol. 107 No. 3 (2024) | JustitiaThe Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) was enacted in 2022. One of the law’s goals is to reduce gun violence by strengthening background checks for potential gun purchasers between the […]