Access & fairness
Equipping courts with scalable solutions, guidance and resources to ensure equal justice for all and accessible court services.
Ensuring justice for all
Our "Justice for All" guide offers a framework to help state courts and their community partners address unmet civil justice needs. This comprehensive roadmap includes tools and strategies to build collaborative systems that better serve every community.
Increasing access to services
Language access
Assisting courts and prospective court interpreters to expand and build language access programs.
Self-represented litigants
Sharing new approaches to assist courts with the growing number of users without legal counsel.
Rural justice
Supporting courts and justice stakeholders with creative solutions and strong networks to meet the unique needs of rural communities.
Adopting national reforms to ensure equal justice for all
Understand how financial obligations and criminal records impact individuals and communities and the importance of fair access to remedies.
Expanding court accessibility
Ensuring people with disabilities have access to the courts improves the court system for all court users and improves public trust and confidence in the courts.
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Understanding record relief
Twenty to 30 million people in the U.S. are eligible for record relief, yet only 10-20% apply, and even fewer receive it. Our guide outlines practical steps courts can take to streamline record relief, expand access to justice, and improve opportunities for jobs and housing.
Enhancing access to justice with Tiny Chats
Join Tiny Chats hosts Danielle Hirsch and Zach Zarnow for bite-sized, annotated talks with guests from the across the country who are passionate about access to justice topics and court operations.
Tap into our expertise
Our team brings a variety of experience related to access and fairness activities. We can develop custom solutions to meet your unique court and community needs.
Our latest resources on access & fairness
Measuring access & fairness in Ohio
Identifying a comprehensive method to understand how users experience access and fairness — especially related to remote options.
Court chatbots: How to build a great chatbot for your court’s website
Navigating AI in court translation: Insights for court leaders
Online dispute resolution
Discover how online dispute resolution (ODR) can improve court efficiency and access to justice. Learn essential steps to implement ODR, measure success, and increase public engagement.
How online dispute resolution works for everyone
Ensuring justice for all
The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) has developed a comprehensive Justice for All guide, funded by various foundations, to assist courts, lawyers, and community groups in improving civil justice accessibility and addressing unmet needs, aided by expert input and feedback gathered since its launch in 2016.
Rural justice
National judicial leadership summits on child welfare
Improving court appearance rates
Valuable insights and research-backed strategies to improve appearance rates, streamline operations, and promote fairer outcomes.
Annual report 2023
Lessons learned in online dispute resolution
Fines, fees & pretrial practices - state reform
AI foundations in the courts
As artificial intelligence is increasingly integrated into the justice system, it's important for courts to consider issues of privacy, bias, ethics, and accessibility, and strategies such as strict privacy laws, bias testing, human oversight, and collaboration with experts, can help ensure responsible and effective use of AI technologies, according to experts who have identified 12 key questions and answers to help courts navigate the use of AI.