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Administrative Offices of the Courts

Resource Guide

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Ingo Keilitz

Nial Raaen

William Raftery

Mark your calendar

Conference of State Court Administrators Midyear Meeting.

Conference of Chief Justice/Conference of State Court Administrators Annual Conference.

National Association for Court Management Annual Conference.

The National Association for Court Management Conference will be held on Jul. 15-19 in Orlando, Fla., and will promote improved court leadership and governance.

In an effort to develop effective internal management system to maintain control over the administrative aspects of the judicial system, the state courts created an  administrative system with simplified organization, centralized administration, and unitary budgeting. While there is no single model of administrative structure in the state courts, most contain a chief justice as the executive head, followed by an administrator of the courts and staff to comprise the administrative office of the courts (AOC), who’s function is to carry out the judiciary’s administrative duties.

Links to related online resources are listed below. Non-digitized publications may be borrowed from the NCSC Library; call numbers are provided.

Featured Links

Court Technology Conference Presentations Presentations given at Court Technology Conferences and E-Courts Conferences.
Justice System Journal Articles
Trends Articles

General

Fetter. Theodore J. A History of the Conference of State Court Administrators. (November 2005). National Association of Court Management Documents the history of the Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA), which was formerly known as the National Conference of Court Administrative Officers (NCCAO) from 1955 to 2005.   
Tobin, Robert. An Overview of Court Administration in the United States. (1997).

In this resource, Tobin examines the importance of court administration in the judicial system, the evolution of modern court administration, and the exercise of administrative authority in the courts.
Steelman, David and Anne Skove. Creation of State Court Administrative Offices and Selection of State Court Administrators. (February 2007).

This report offers state-by-state information on the manner in which state court administrators are chosen in each state.
Kuban, Gerald and Adam Fleischman. Job Classification, Pay Plan, and Employee Performance Appraisal System. (1995). 160 pages. Court Services Division.

This report for the Tennessee Supreme Court, Appellate Courts, and AOC focuses on the personnel management and presents the positives and negatives to a merit pay system and suggests improvements that can apply to most AOCs.
Kuban, Gerald and Adam Fleischman. Job Classification, Pay Plans, and Employee Performance Appraisal Systems. (August 1994). 146 pages. Court Services Division.

This report is for the Georgia Supreme Court and AOC. The purpose of this study was to develop a job classification and pay structure and an employee performance appraisal system for the Georgia Administrative Office of the Courts.
Louisiana Court Administrators Association (LCAA). (2007). The LCAA was considered for the 2007 Justice Achievement Award.  The association provides educational opportunities for Louisiana judges and court administrators.  It was established in 1981 and continues to be a vital component for the administration of justice within the state.
Gainey, James, Robert Tobin and Samuel Conti. Ohio State Court Administrative Office Organization and Management Study. (1987). Northeastern Regional Office.

The report proposes changes in the organization and management of the Office of the Administrative Director of the Supreme Court by giving an overview of the Ohio Court Administrative System and recommendations of changes, as well as implementation of those recommendations.
Coolsen, Peter and Michael Buenger. Report on the 4th National Symposium on Court Management. (2012). National Center for State Courts, National Association for Court Management.

The management and administration of state courts has historically evolved over time, driven by societal trends, technology developments, and the increasing and everchanging demands being placed on state courts. For more than 30 years, state courts have examined these challenges and explored the most productive and efficient way for state courts to adapt and move forward.
Results from the 2003 Survey of Administrative Models. (2003). San Francisco: Judicial Council Report from three administrative areas of the Administrative Office of the Courts of California: Center for Court Research, Innovation, and Planning. The survey focused on control, funding, and effectiveness of models in each administrative area.
Rottman, David et al. Table 21--Administrative Office of the Courts: Staffing and Responsibilities for Trial Court Functions. (August 2006). State Court Organization, 2004, U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics This table from State Court Organization provides state-by-state data on the responsibilities of the administrative offices of the courts.
Cameron, James Duke et al. The Chief Justice and the Court Administrator: The Evolving Relationship. (1987). St Paul, MN: West Publishing This article discusses the history of court administration, the respective roles and duties of chief justices and state court administrators, and the inherent differences between the administrative and the judicial approaches to problem solving and decision making. 
The Judicial Education Reference. Information and Technical Transfer. (JERITT). East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University The national clearinghouse for information on continuing judicial branch education for judges and other judicial officers; administrators and managers; judicial branch educators; and other key court personnel employed in the local, state, and federal courts. The Web site offers a database to search for judicial education programs by organizations, including AOCs.
Aikman, Alexander. Total Quality Management in the Courts. (1994). Court Services Division.

A Handbook for Judicial Policy Makers and Administrators. Report on Total Quality Management (TQM), its history and resurgence as a viable model for courts. Identifies key principles, tools, procedures and expands on the notion that TQM is an attitude.
Trial Court Structure and Performance: A Contemporary Reappraisal. (1996). 160 pages. A research report that applies its findings regarding the progress of nine court systems to the concerns and needs of chief judges, clerks of courts, trial court administrators, and others involved in court management. Information was gathered from reports and interviews with officials and their staff in nine trial court systems representing both unified and fractured systems.
Guillen, Jose Octavio. Trials and Tribulations of a Court Administrator. (Winter 2007). Court Manager Volume 21, Number 4. Page 17 This article is a personal account of the lessons Guillen learned as the court executive officer for the Imperial County (California) Superior Court.  At the end of the article is a chart summarizing Guillen's experiences and lessons. 
NACM Justice Achievement Awards.

A compilation of the National Association for Court Management's Justice Achievement Awards from 2000-2011.