Warren E. Burger

William H. Rehnquist

Leaders of the mid-20th-century court reform movement challenged America’s state courts to improve public service by modernizing management principles.

In 1970, they created the Institute for Court Management (ICM) to provide training and education programs. Soon afterward, the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) was founded by the same leadership group to provide information services, which spawned research, technology, consulting, and international divisions. In the 1980s, ICM merged with NCSC, thus consolidating and cross-pollinating a wealth of resources dedicated to the growth and development of the judicial branch. Today, NCSC is acknowledged as the premier provider of services that improve the administration of justice, not only across the United States, but worldwide. The field of court administration has grown exponentially, and ICM’s educational programs are continuously evolving to meet the needs of courts. While in the classroom, judges and court managers discuss innovative and collaborative methods to integrate in their courts. Courses on technology, security, case management, and performance standards are taught in traditional face-to-face seminars, and a growing number of learners are using the Internet to study at a different pace. E-learning allows more frequent participation due to lower cost and easy access. By either means, court personnel are assured outstanding educational opportunities from the premier court reform organization.