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Strategic Planning and Court Trends

Resource Guide

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Thomas Clarke

Alicia Davis

Jim Harris

Gregory S. Hurley

Ingo Keilitz

Robert C. (Neil) LaFountain

Amy M. McDowell

Jim McMillan

Larry Murphy

Richard Schauffler

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

Featured Links

Future Trends in State Courts An NCSC publication, produced annually, is intended to support courts in their strategic planning efforts and stimulate thought and discussion about important current issues in the courts.
``Why Not Now? Strategic Planning by Courts in Challenging Financial Times.`` Article from the Future Trends in State Courts 2009 report by Richard Van Duizend and Kathy Mays Coleman.

General

Futurist.com. This is the site of Glen Hiemstra, who is a futurist speaker, futurist consultant, author, blogger, internet TV show host, and Founder of Futurist.com.
Hawai`i Research Center for Futures Studies. "Hawaii Futures engages in projects that reflect our commitment to integrating innovative, divergent futures thinking into a wide range of public and private organizational strategies and decisions. We are a diverse and switched on group of engaged thinkers, willing to consider any new collaborations or projects, consistent with our mission and values, that might come our way."
Institue for Alternative Futures. "IAF offers a wide range of futures-based research, consulting and foresight related services. We believe that organizations can only obtain their highest potential by working to create the future they want, not simply reacting to events after the fact. IAF is a non-profit organization, so much of our final work product is made public."
Journal of Futures Studies: Epistemology, Methods, Applied and Alternative Futures. The Journal of Futures Studies is a globally-oriented, trans-disciplinary referred journal. Its mission is to develop high-quality, futures-oriented research and thinking based on the evolving knowledge base of Futures Studies. Articles accepted for publication are expected to show an in-depth understanding of the field's dimensions, content, research perspectives and methods.
State News Magazine. Council of State Governments. Published 10 times a year, State News offers updates and in-depth analyses of state programs, policies and trends in the executive, legislative and judicial branches.
Wagenknecht-Ivey, Brenda J. et al. Strategic Planning Mentoring Guidelines: Practical Tips for Court Leaders. (2000). Denver: Center for Public Policy Studies This takes readers to the Florida State Courts Strategic Planning Web site .  The Strategic Planning Mentoring Guidelines are divided into six sections -- Introduction, Long-Range Strategic Planning in Florida's Judicial Branch: Overview, Deciding to Do Long-Range Strategic Planning, Getting Started, Facilitating the Strategic Planning Process and Implementing the Strategic Plan, and Conclusions.
World Future Society. The World Future Society is a nonprofit, nonpartisan scientific and educational association of people interested in how social and technological developments are shaping the future.  Here you can find a neutral clearinghouse that for ideas about the future.
World Futures Studies Federation. "An organization of some 300 individuals and 20 institutions around the world whose mission is to promote futures education and research. The WFSF is a global network of practicing futurists - researchers, teachers, scholars, policy analysts, activists and others from over 60 countries - established in 1967."

Articles and Reports

A Court System of the Future: The Promise of Court Restructuring in New York State. (February 2007). Recognizing the need for reform, this commission reported the recommendations which should be made to the New York State Courts in order to improve efficiency and effectiveness.  These are the links to the report's Appendix, The Special Commission on the Future of the New York State Courts, and the relevant state Senate bill for court reform. 
A Practical Guide to Futures Study. (2000). Denver: National Conference of State Legislatures This short guidebook is organized into eleven chapters -- "Introduction," "Establish a Focal Issue," "Identify Strengths and Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats," "Develop a Sense of History," "Identify and Assess Driving Forces," "Identify Core Values," "Axes of Uncertainty and Scenario Development," "Develop Scenarios Influenced by Driving Forces," "Assess the Focal Issue and Vision Within Context of Each Scenario," "Develop Action Plans Based on a Likely or Desirable Future," and "Implement Action Plans."  (JK2488 .P73 2000)
Dator, James Allen, and Sharon J. Rogers. Alternative Futures for the State Courts of 2020. (1991). Washington, DC: State Justice Institute; Chicago, IL: American Judicature Society This is the entire documentation of "The Futures of the Courts Conference: Alternative Futures for the State Courts of 2020."  Some of the issues discussed are "Seven Futures," "Judicial Genesis," "Back to the Future: Conference Structure and Materials," "In Memory of the Future: Conference Program, Faculty, and Participants," and a bibliography.  (KF8700.A17 F881 1990)
Martin, John A. An Approach to Long Range Strategic Planning for the Courts. (1992). Denver, CO: Center for Public Policy Studies "This report, An Approach to Long Range Strategic Planning for the Courts, describes a comprehensive, step-by-step approach to strategic planning for state trial courts."  The report is divided into ten chapters -- "Long Range Strategic Planning and the Courts," "Initiating and Agreeing on a Planning Process," "Identifying Organizational Mandates, Missions and Goals," "Developing a Vision of What the Court Would Like to Be," "Conducting Trends Analyses and Constructing Scenarios," "Conducting an Organizational Assessment," "Developing Strategies to Manage Issues," "Implementing Strategic Management," "Monitoring and Evaluating Movement Towards Success," and "Fostering Long Range Strategic Management and Organizational Change."  (KF8732 .A97)
An Interview with Thomas Zlaket. (Fall 2000). Court Review 37, no. 3: 4 Thomas Zlaket is a judge on the Arizona Supreme Court who has "become one of the country's most influential jurists, encouraging additional, innovative practices in the forward-looking Arizona court system and leading national efforts to improve public trust and confidence in the courts."  Zlaket has considerable experience and recognition in judicial reforms.  He has co-chaired the National Conference on Public Trust and Confidence in the Justice System in 1999 and was the 2000 recipient of the Paul C. Reardon Award from NCSC, which recognizes "highly distinguished service to the judiciary on a national level".
Straub, Danial H. and Lisa Vandeveer. Creating Alignment: Strategic Management in the District of Columbia Courts. (Winter 2005). Court Manager 20, no. 4: 7 This article addresses the disconnection between strategic planning and daily court operations.  By emphasizing strategic management, the District of Columbia Courts have successfully integrated the responsibilities of the courts' employees with the courts' strategic goals.  Included in the article are suggestions on how to make the alignment of daily court operations and strategic planning more successful.  (KF8732 A15 C685)
Ostrom, Brian, Shauna Strickland, and Paula Hannaford-Agor. Examining Trial Trends in State Courts: 1976 - 2002 . (November 2004). Journal of Empirical Legal Studies 1, no. 3 (November 2004): 755-782. This article introduces the State Court Disposition Trends database and analyzes, for the first time, long-term trial trends in the state courts. The present analysis examines 27- year trends of trials and trial rates for criminal, civil, and felony cases, and 11-year trends of trials and trial rates for general civil cases.
Focus on the Future. (2007). Minnesota Judicial Council Priorities and strategies for the Minnesota Judicial Branch for FY2007 - FY2009.  This strategic plan sets forth three long-term, enduring goals for the court system: (1) Access to Justice; (2) Administering Justice for Effective Results; and (3) Public Trust, Accountability and Impartiality. These goals are fundamental building blocks for the operation of the courts and anchor all other parts of the strategic plan.
Summary of State and Local Justice Initiatives: The Courts, the Bar and the Public Working Together to Improve the Justice System. (2001). Chicago: ABA This one hundred fifty-page study focuses on three issues -- justice improvement activities, the involvement on non-lawyers in justice improvement, and public trust and confidence in the courts.
Conner, Maureen E. The Courts and Judicial Branch Education: Creating Their Future in the New Millennium. (1999). East Lansing, MI: Judicial Education Reference. Information and Technical Transfer Project This study is created to "act as a primer for those individuals considering or beginning a futures planning process in the courts in general, judicial branch education in particular, or both...This monograph provides us with 1) information on selected trends that will likely affect state courts; 2) futures terminology, definitions, and processes; 3) a review of the stages involved in the creative process; 4) recognition of the blocks to creating; and 5) a challenge to think and do 'outside of the box.'"  (KF276 .C658)
Rottman, David, Trends and Issues in State Courts: Challenges and Achievements. (June 2004). Judiciary These are challenging times for the state judicial branches. Funding has been cut, relations with the other branches of government are frayed, and election campaigns for judicial office can be injudicious. Significant innovation is occurring nonetheless.