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Publication explores process of court reengineering Williamsburg, Va. (June 30, 2010) — The evaluation and adjustment of court operations to improve processes and save money while increasing efficiency and maintaining service levels to the public — a process known as court reengineering — is the central theme of Future Trends in State Courts 2010, the latest edition of the National Center for State Courts’ (NCSC) annual “Report on Trends in State Courts” series. This is the 22nd edition of the series, which is dedicated to making courts aware of key trends that affect not only court operations, but also the role of courts in society. Future Trends 2010 also includes an article by retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor that stresses the importance of civic education in improving public understanding of the judicial system. In her article, Justice O’Connor highlights www.ourcourts.org, a Web-based education project that uses games and other interactive materials to teach students about the importance of the rule of law in our society. In an ongoing effort to help the nation’s courts weather the current economic storm and prepare for an uncertain financial future, NCSC either has worked with or is currently working with 10 states to reengineer their court systems, and the experiences of seven of those states — Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Oregon, Utah, and Vermont — are outlined in Future Trends 2010. Additional articles explore areas examined during the court reengineering process, including court culture, specialty courts, e-filing, and social-networking tools.

Pages 25 and 60 have two articles by J. Broderick that touch on self represented issues/needs and page 126 is an article by Richard Zorza discussing public libraries as partners in access to justice.