State Courts
Briefs
Common Themes Emerge in 2023 ‘State of the State Judiciary’ Addresses
by Alyssa Nekritz and William Raftery
Vol. 107 No. 2 (2023) | Generative AI in the CourtsIn 48 states, the chief justice of the state supreme court is the “administrative head” of or holds “administrative power” over the state’s judicial branch.1 As such, many chiefs deliver annual “state of the judiciary” addresses, similar to speeches delivered by governors. […]
From the Publisher
“Our Response Must Be Faster and Louder”
Vol. 107 No. 2 (2023) | Generative AI in the CourtsThose who become judges don the robe expecting to work hard. They accept that the job comes with heavy caseloads, endless filings to read, and difficult decisions that must be made […]
A Finer Point
Renaming Maryland’s Appellate Courts
Vol. 107 No. 1 (2023) | Toward Fairer, Quicker, Cheaper LitigationWhat’s in a name? According to Maryland’s voters, there’s something to it. […]
The Storied Third Branch
Indelible: Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson
Vol. 107 No. 1 (2023) | Toward Fairer, Quicker, Cheaper LitigationShirley Abrahamson’s enduring legacy exists not just in statistics, accolades, and awards. Rather it lies in her innovations in judicial administration, her significant contributions to the development of the law, and the indelible impression she left on the hearts and minds of so many who look to her with admiration and gratitude.
In Conversation
Faith in Law
by David F. Levi and Dallin H. Oaks
Vol. 107 No. 1 (2023) | Toward Fairer, Quicker, Cheaper LitigationDavid F. Levi interviews Dallin H. Oaks, a leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and former justice of the Utah Supreme Court, on faith, democracy, and how believers and nonbelievers can work together toward a more free and fair society for all. […]
Briefs
How States Set Judicial Salaries
Vol. 107 No. 1 (2023) | Toward Fairer, Quicker, Cheaper LitigationThe question of judicial compensation — not just how much, but the mechanism used to set the amount — has been a part of the American discourse on judicial independence since […]
Feature
Trailblazing Chief Justices in the American States
by Richard L. Vining, Jr. and Teena Wilhelm
Vol. 106 No. 3 (2023) | Forging New TrailsThe diversity of the American bench is frequently scrutinized by politicians, journalists, academics, and jurists themselves. This has been particularly true in recent years as the U.S. Supreme Court has […]
Briefs
Case Processing Time Standards Take Hold in State Courts
Vol. 106 No. 3 (2023) | Forging New TrailsFor centuries, courts have grappled with the question of speedy and timely justice. Until the 20th century, this was almost exclusively viewed as a legal question: At what point does […]
Sidebar
Best Practices for Trauma-Informed Virtual Hearings
by Teri Deal
Vol. 106 No. 2 (2022) | Losing faith?When physical distancing measures required courts to quickly adapt operations, the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) saw an opportunity to examine the experience of families and child welfare court […]
Book Review
‘The People’ Have Decided
Vol. 106 No. 2 (2022) | Losing faith?There are many great judges. Only some have a major impact on our law — or even more rarely on our larger culture and society — and most of those […]