October 24, 2024
As of September 2024, 26 states have active court strategic plans covering a wide range of topics. Particularly, common themes address access to justice and diversity, technology and court modernization, and mental and behavioral health support through treatment courts and workplace resources.
The Diversity Strategic Planning Effort adopted by the Delaware Supreme Court was created to address existing issues surrounding a lack of diversity in the legal community. The plan was crafted with the help of the National Center for State Courts and AccessLex, as well as a steering committee and set of five working groups. Recommendations from working groups acknowledge limitations to increasing diversity in the legal field, such as barriers to higher education and differences in state bar examination and admission data based on race.
Florida adopted a long-range strategic plan from 2022-2027, identifying five central issues regarding access to justice and modernizing court facilities. The plan’s vision statement states the Florida Justice System aims to be “accessible, fair, effective, responsive, and accountable.” Through prioritizing these five tenets of the strategic plan, they aim to address pressing challenges from the past decade.
In Arizona’s recently released strategic agenda, the expansion and promotion of access to justice and advancing judicial branch excellence and innovation are central goals of the 2024-2029 plan. To identify and address barriers to access to the courts, they established a Commission on Access to Justice. This standing group considers elements such as service for limited English-proficient individuals in court proceedings and the role of remote court services.
The Arizona Supreme Court has also adopted an Information Technology Strategic Plan for 2024-2026, which prioritizes goals of court modernization in the face of increasing technological change. Montana has adopted a similar strategic plan through their Information Technology Division to emphasize technological modernization for increased access, reliability, and innovation.
Courts are also addressing their respective needs for the expansion and implementation of problem-solving and mental health courts. In California, a guiding principle within the recurring strategic plan for the Judicial Branch is centered on innovations in court programs and services and the expansion of problem-solving and treatment-oriented courts. Finding the balance between traditional court settings and innovative expansions is of central concern.
The New Mexico Supreme Court Commission on Mental Health and Competency’s 2024-2029 Strategic Plan prioritizes the goals of improving the outcomes of individuals facing behavioral health and cognitive challenges. Specifically, the commission aims to inspire collective positive change within systems through available access to services and treatment and put an end to stigmas and discrimination.
Does your state have a current strategic plan? Share your experiences with us. For more information, contact knowledge@ncsc.org or call 800-616-6164. Follow the National Center for State Courts on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Vimeo. For more Trending Topics posts, visit ncsc.org/trendingtopics and subscribe to the LinkedIn newsletter.