NEWS
 RELEASE

www.ncsconline.org

                                                                         
Final Report on Guidelines for

Public Access to Court Records Now Available 

Williamsburg , VA  (Nov. 13, 2005) – The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) and the Justice Management Institute (JMI) recently completed the final report on “Public Access to Court Records: Implementing the CCJ/COSCA Guidelines.” The report is available online at www.courtaccess.org/modelpolicy/. This work was carried out through SJI-01-N-054, SJI-02-N-007, and SJI-04-N-007. 

This report follows an initial set of Guidelines, which were endorsed by the Conference of Chief Justices (CCJ) and the Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA) in August 2002, and released in October 2002. Those Guidelines serve as a blueprint for state courts to refer as they develop their policies governing access to court records. 

The current report tracks the work that has since taken place. It provides additional language, discussion, and exemplars that address three distinct areas addressed in the 2002 Guidelines: 

• Materials for educating litigants and the public 
• Expanded considerations of the challenges of access to family court records  
• Considerations of internal court policies and procedures 

The NCSC and JMI have been working for more than five years to address concerns and to find solutions to help state courts reach the delicate balance between ensuring privacy while providing public access to court records. The develop the Guidelines, the NCSC and JMI, with funding by the State Justice Institute, formed an Advisory Committee made up of representatives from the courts, the media and advocacy groups. A public comment period also was included in the process.  

The National Center  for State Courts is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the administration of justice by providing leadership and service to the state courts. The National  Center, founded in 1971 with the encouragement of Chief Justice of the United States Warren E. Burger, provides leadership, research, technology, education, and training to the state courts. The National Center also is taking the lead on several key issues facing the justice system. For example, it has established the Civil Justice Reform Initiative, which is a multi-year project that will examine the most efficient practices in civil case management and how complex litigation procedures can be improved through the use of technology. Other national initiatives being driven by the National  Center  include improving public trust and confidence in the courts, pro se litigation, and the judicial selection process.

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