This intentionally light-hearted article, in juxtaposition to the seriousness of the subject, is about judicial and legal efficiency. Not efficiency in the management consultant’s sense—less pay and more work make us “efficient” (if not despondent)—but, instead, how we, as court… Read more »
Posts By: Mark Beer
IJIS Exchange
A COLUMN DEDICATED TO THE EXCHANGE OF IDEAS ON INFORMATION SHARING IN JUSTICESue Humphreys, IJIS Courts Advisory Committee, Vice Chair Congratulations! Your team just selected an excellent proposal for your new system. Even more exciting, it’s cloud based, a first… Read more »
Early Career Professionals
Energy vs. Time Management Time management has been a go-to focus within many work environments for years. In courts, certain processes and procedures need to be followed as we navigate our workday, so we need to be aware of where… Read more »
Ten Things You Should Know About Blockchain Today: A Guide for Court Managers
The story of the blockchain, law, and trust is still unfolding. It just might be one of the most important stories of our time.… [S]ystems based on blockchain technology’s foundational innovation could influence all aspects of business, government, and human… Read more »
Management Musings
In the New York Times best seller The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers, Maxwell King discusses one of the most recognizable articles of clothing in American pop culture—the red knit cardigan that Fred Rogers would change… Read more »
Courtside Conversation
Johnny Tse
Johnny Tse Court Administrator, Buckeye Municipal Court, Buckeye, Arizona Number of judges at court: 1 (Appointed by city council) NACM member since 2013 How did you get started in court administration? I started working in the courts as a fines… Read more »
Effective Case Management: Striking the Balance Between Efficiency and Quality
Editor’s Note: The paper featured in this article comes from a special issue of Criminal Justice Policy Review, commissioned by the Data Collaborative for Justice. The Data Collaborative for Justice (DCJ) at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, funded by… Read more »
Developing an Alternative Dispute Resolution System: Created to Serve, Driven to Grow
From the federal government to the smallest municipality, each bureaucracy is designed for a specific, unique function. In this labyrinth, each component can function independently; it is easy to lose sight that they best serve the public by becoming interdependent… Read more »
A Question of Ethics
Four Views on a Political Windfall You’ll Want to Know The opening line of the National Association for Court Management Model Code reads that service to the judicial branch involves a public trust. Part of that trust is upholding the… Read more »
Redefining Case Management
Case management is part of every civil justice reform proposal afoot in the nation. It is mentioned at every conference and in every set of recommendations. But here is the rub. The literature and experience on the ground all pointed… Read more »
A Fresh Start: What’s the Court’s Role?
It was a hot, muggy summer evening in 2010 that lead 19-year-old Peyton to the home of a schoolmate.1 Adding bored friends to a summer weekend with parents away at the Gulf meant the kids had the perfect ingredients for… Read more »
Management Musings
Keeping the Rust (and Dust) Off The metaphors “shaking off the dust” and “shaking off the rust” are common phrases that are sometimes used interchangeably. The expressions typically suggest that a person, group, or idea be brought back into use… Read more »
The Work of the National Judicial Opioid Task Force: A Significant Response to a National Crisis
In 2017 opioid overdoses in the United States accounted for 47,600 deaths (up from 42,000 the year prior). The crisis continues to take a heavy toll, resulting in about 120 deaths per day last year. The Center for Disease Control… Read more »
From Letter Bombs to Poisoned Chocolates—What to Watch for and Do
Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in the eNewsletter Judicial Edge, published by the National Judicial College. Recently, more than a dozen pipe bombs were delivered across the country to prominent public figures at their homes and workplaces. Although none… Read more »
Making the Impossible Possible Through Collaboration: Athens-Clarke County Justice Mental Health Collaborative
Helping citizens diagnosed with mental illness while saving taxpayers money? “Impossible!” you say. Yet that is exactly what is happening in Athens, Georgia. The Justice Mental Health Collaborative in Athens is working to reduce the number of individuals in local… Read more »
Have a Plan in Place to Deal with Suspicious Packages
Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in the eNewsletter Judicial Edge, published by the National Judicial College. The December 1989 mail-bomb assassination of Judge Robert S. Vance of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit taught many judges… Read more »
Ready for Something New? Appellate Mediation Is on Its Way
Editor’s Note: The original version of this article was published in the fall 2018 issue of Virginia Family Law Quarterly, a publication of the Family Law Section of the Virginia State Bar. In 2018 the Supreme Court of Virginia (SCV)… Read more »
A New Perspective on Helping Court Customers
As a court administrator, I was fully aware that court litigants and users needed assistance to make their way through the court system as self-represented litigants. As a consultant, I have worked with courts on operational best practices and strategies… Read more »
The Importance of Defining Our Roles
Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in the Texas Association for Court Administration Journal, vol. 46, no. 1, January 2018. We’re all cogs in the same wheel: judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, court coordinators, bailiffs. Too often, it doesn’t seem to… Read more »
Empowering Employees to Embrace Change
Change is one constant in all our courts. Resistance to change is normal because change disrupts the current comfort zone. Change can undermine our need to feel appreciated, valued, and in control. One of the biggest changes a court can… Read more »