Abstract
Court rules are necessary, but insufficient by themselves to address problems of cost and delay. Instead, state courts today are embracing a considerably broader view of civil case management, one that encompasses the total constellation of court rules, business practices, culture and governance, and staffing and technology infrastructure. Effective case management now recognizes the importance of five core components that are necessary to achieve timely, cost-effective, and procedurally fair justice: (1) triage to ensure that cases receive attention proportional to their needs; (2) process simplification to remove procedural barriers that unnecessarily complicate litigation; (3) stakeholder engagement to ensure clear communication about case management objectives at every stage of the litigation; (4) effective use of court staffing and technology resources; and (5) an ongoing commitment to data management and performance management. Finally, it is critically important that effective case management not be viewed as an end in itself, but rather the means to achieve the ultimate goal of greater justice for all litigants served by the courts.
This abstract has been taken from the author's introduction.
Document Type
Report
Publication Date
2021
Publication Information
National Center for State Courts (2021)
Repository Citation
Hannaford-Agor, Paula, "Reimagining Civil Case Management" (2021). Faculty Publications. 2379.
https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/facpubs/2379