Data Specialists’ Roundtable event informs and inspires

Data Specialists’ Roundtable event informs and inspires

November 6, 2024 -- Last month, data specialists from across the country engaged in focused discussions about data quality, dashboard design, data literacy, and more during the 18th annual Data Specialists’ Roundtable.

Since 2007, NCSC has invited data specialists to Williamsburg to share knowledge, address common challenges, and explore solutions. This year, the roundtable included 29 participants from 24 states and territories.

“This in-person gathering is so important because it provides a unique opportunity for state court data specialists—who go by many different titles—to share innovations and challenges with peers,” said Diane Robinson, an NCSC principal court research associate and roundtable coordinator. “The agenda is participant-driven and includes numerous presentations by attendees.”

Challenges and takeaways

Roundtable discussions identified several challenges and takeaways facing the field of court data, including:

Key challenges:

  • Improving data governance, quality, and access to court data
  • Building statewide data repositories using the National Open Data Standards (NODS)
  • Navigating the evolving role of data specialists and IT professionals

Key takeaways:

  • Additional data literacy training across courts is needed
  • Generative AI and other technologies offer potential to address data quality
  • Data specialists continue to drive innovation in research and access to data

Robinson noted that this work is ongoing with quarterly virtual meetings of data specialists and through NCSC’s Courtstats listserv.

The role of the data specialist

Throughout the year, court data specialists support NCSC’s Court Statistics Project (CSP) by providing detailed, aggregated caseload data. This joint venture with the Conference of State Court Administrators promotes data literacy and offers valuable insights into state court operations. Additionally, NCSC's State Court Organization (SCO) data collection provides insights into court structures, operations, and more. The 2024 call for SCO data is now open.

"The role of data specialists is more vital than ever as leaders look to make data-informed decisions," commented Nicole Waters, NCSC’s director of data analytics and forecasting and CSP project director. "The annual roundtable equips these professionals with the tools and knowledge they need to meet the challenges of today and deliver innovative solutions for the future.”

Creating community

For Katie Janiak, a senior court data analyst from the Idaho Administrative Office of the Courts, the roundtable provided an opportunity to connect with peers and find innovative ideas for approaching data challenges. She also emphasized the intangible benefits of the meeting: a renewed sense of purpose and a deeper understanding of the broader mission of the courts and how court data teams work every day to advance that mission.

"We were able to collectively problem-solve, connect with each other, and offer mutual support," Janiak said. "Returning to Boise, I felt refocused, re-energized, and excited to dive back into my work.”

The next gathering for data specialists will be the Data Specialist/IT Summit in March 2025. For more information about the annual roundtable event and additional training opportunities, visit the courtstatistics.org website.

Pictured above: L-R: Dina Erich (Tennessee), Karimah Elliott-Erarte (Virgin Islands), Mark Ritchey (Missouri), Jamesetta Lovett (South Carolina), and Scott Mitchell (Alabama).

Voters weigh in on judicial elections, ballot measures

Voters in dozens of states cast ballots for judicial offices in yesterday’s general election. Here are some takeaways:

  • Several incumbents of state high courts appear to have been defeated in contested elections, including justices in Mississippi, North Carolina and Ohio.
  • The fate of three justices in Oklahoma remains too close to call following a “yes/no” retention election. According to unofficial results, two of the justices were a shade above 50% “yes” while one was a shade below.
  • More than three-quarters of Arizona voters rejected a proposed amendment that would have removed retention elections from Arizona’s judicial selection system.
  • Despite support from a majority of voters, it appears a proposal to raise New Hampshire’s mandatory retirement age for judges from 70 to 75 may have failed because it did not garner the required two-thirds majority.

NCSC has complete results available at ncsc.org/elections.