December 21, 2023
Courts have been using innovative technology to improve the user experience (UX). Twelve courts submitted their UX projects for the first UX Court Capers Challenge at CTC 2023.
The top prize went to the municipal court in Denton, Texas for their Traffic Court mobile app, which allows litigants to plead by charge, go through mediation if desired, set a remote hearing date, make payments or payment plans, get electronic notifications and reminders, and sign up for a traffic course. This app is not mandatory, but many litigants can now manage their traffic cases entirely through the app.
Second place was awarded to the Missouri City Municipal Court’s (Texas) Electronic Jury Process in which jurors may scan the QR code on the jury summons to file it online. This streamlines the process on jury duty day and saves time in court. Jurors can complete their questionnaire in advance online, which simplifies check-in on the day of the summons.
Third place went to Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court’s (Ohio) Help Center. The Help Center provides litigants needed resources in the format that they are most comfortable using, paper or electronic. Assistance with forms and electronic filing is provided.
The other submissions were:
- The 20th Judicial Circuit, Ottawa County, Michigan provides legal kiosks that allow court service access at strategic community locations.
- The Essex Probate and Family Court Virtual Registry (Massachusetts) has a Zoom front counter with a waiting room that puts litigants in the queue for assistance in the order of arrival.
- The 22nd Circuit of McHenry County (Illinois) has a new guardianship accounting system that sends electronic reminders for accounting reports.
- The Alaska Court System’s Access to Justice Improvement Project converted legalese into legible and more understandable forms.
- The Judicial Branch of Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) provides access to public case information and court documents via PC, mobile, and tablet.
- In the Coweta County State Court Clerk’s Office (Georgia), the sheriff added a state-court-clerk QR code to traffic citations that links to the traffic case online for a menu of information and services.
- The Cherokee County Clerk of Court in Georgia improved jury service by using a QR code to access summons information and complete questionnaires online and installing an outdoor kiosk that allows litigants to look up their cases and make payments.
- The Pima County Superior Court (Arizona) developed and implemented an online parent education course to provide family litigants with an easier alternative to parent-training-course requirements.
- The 17th Circuit Court of Illinois reworked its user experience and court mission statement to capture the need to enhance all aspects of the user’s experience, including protecting rights and liberties, providing equal access to justice, resolving disputes, and upholding the rule of law.
How has your court improved UX? Contact Knowledge@ncsc.org or call 800-616-6164. Follow the National Center for State Courts on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Vimeo. For more Trending Topic posts, visit ncsc.org/trendingtopics or subscribe to the LinkedIn newsletter.