Goal III - Modernization of Management and Administration

Justice will be administered by a highly qualified judicial and executive leadership team in a fair, timely, efficient, and effective manner by using modern management practices that implement and sustain innovative ideas and effective practices.

Overview

The judicial branch is responsible for providing a court system that resolves disputes in a just and timely manner and operates efficiently and effectively. Some of the pressures affecting the branch's ability to do so are increased competition for limited state resources, expanding workloads, greater number of cases and resulting backlogs, increased case complexity, and the courts' need to respond to the information requirements of many entities. The branch also faces the difficult work of unifying and consolidating judicial administration policies, practices, and systems that are more efficiently coordinated on a statewide basis, while preserving and facilitating the ability of courts to develop and maintain efficient local practices.

The effective administration of justice requires deliberate attention to recruiting, developing, and retaining high-quality staff at all levels, as well as to developing and implementing appropriate accountability and compliance measures. The judicial branch must also implement and sustain innovative practices and ensure that court environments are safe and secure. The Commission on the Future of California’s Court System report outlines a number of recommendations that lend themselves to preserving and maintaining the characteristics described above.

For policy details, please see the complete Judicial Branch Strategic Plan.
Graphic version  |  Text only version 

Recommended Best Practices

Trial and Appellate Court Management

  1. Improve operations through innovation, technology, and the sharing of effective practices.
  2. Ensure that data collected by the judicial branch is complete, accurate, and current and provides a sound basis for policy decisions, resource allocations, and reports to other branches of government, law and justice system partners, and the public.
  3. Attract, employ, and retain a judicial branch workforce that is highly qualified.
  4. Foster a work environment that recognizes employees’ value and promotes professional growth, development, and employee well-being.
  5. Work to ensure the safety and security of the work environment, and develop emergency and continuity-of-business plans for times of crisis or natural disaster.
  6. Manage and coordinate cases effectively by sharing appropriate information between and within the courts and other justice system partners.
  7. Promote compliance with all court orders and federal and state laws, including the collection of fines, fees, and forfeitures.

Trial and Appellate Case Management

  1. Develop and promote innovative and effective practices to foster the fair, timely, and efficient processing and resolution of all cases.
  2. Ensure that statewide policies, rules of court, standards of judicial administration, and court forms promote the fair, timely, effective, and efficient processing of cases and make court procedures easier to understand.