NEWS RELEASE
www.ncsconline.org
Contact:
Lorri Montgomery
Director of Communications
National Center for State Courts
757.259.1525
lmontgomery@ncsc.dni.us
NCSC Publishes New Future Trends in State Courts
Williamsburg, VA (December 21, 2006) – The National Center for State Courts has published Future Trends in State Courts 2006, the latest in its long-running “Report on Trends in State Courts” series. This book, which is produced annually by NCSC’s Knowledge and Information Service, helps to make courts more aware of important societal trends that could affect their operations—and public trust and confidence in the justice system.
The latest Future Trends begins with a series of short essays on “Ten Trends Impacting State Courts”:
- Emergency Preparedness in the State Courts
- The Impact of Technology
- Cultural Diversity: The Use of Court Interpreters
- The Impact of an Aging Population
- Privacy and Public Access to Court Records
- Judicial Independence and Selection
- State Courts and Budget Challenges
- Problem-solving Courts
- Access to Justice: The Self-Represented Litigant
- Court Performance Measurement
These essays provide brief, useful summaries of these key trends, which are given “A Closer Look” in the next section of articles. These articles examine issues surrounding:
- Courthouse Security (such as how courts should prepare for when disaster strikes and how to improve security for court personnel)
- Technology (such as image recognition and biometrics and IT governance)
- Special Courts and Programs (such as DWI courts and career paths for court interpreters)
Copies of Future Trends in State Courts 2006 can be obtained by contacting the Knowledge and Information Service at (800) 616-6164. The new Future Trends, as well as past entries in the series, can also be found on the Web at www.ncsconline.org.
The National Center for State Courts, founded in 1971 by Chief Justice of the United States Warren E. Burger, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the administration of justice and 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, the National Center is working to improve citizens’ participation in the jury system, reform the judicial selection process, and develop a model policy on public access to court records. The National Center is headquartered in Williamsburg, Va., with offices in Washington, D.C. and Denver, Colo.
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National Center for State Courts, 300 Newport Avenue, Williamsburg, VA 23185-4147