NCJ Number
85306
Editor(s)
G Gallas,
A Rausch
Date Published
1982
Length
122 pages
Annotation
This series of essays from the National Symposium on Court Management covers the impact of a changing society on courts, the effectiveness of court managers, the means to develop productive relationships between court managers and judges, and the public's role in the judicial system.
Abstract
Essays on the impact of a changing society on courts consider the ability of court managers to deal with alternatives futures, particularly as these alternatives dictate complex relationships with the public and the judges to whom court managers are accountable. An essay on the effectiveness of court managers argues that they generally function to survive in their positions rather than to move courts closer to their goals of justice, fairness, and the provision of reliable records of defendants' legal status. Court delays and backlogs are sure signs that court managers are not as effective as they might be. An essay defending the effectiveness of court management fail to appreciate what court managers have accomplished, such as the rendering of technical assistance, the introduction of evaluation, and coordinating growing court staffs. Survey results are also reported from court managers' assessment of their effectiveness. An essay on developing productive relationships between court managers and judges provides guidelines for developing the partnership between the court manager and the presiding judge. The manager's style of management is said to depend upon the style of the presiding judge if the partnership is to be fruitful. Essays in the concluding section consider the public's involvement in court administration in the United Kingdom and the United States and reasons for the development of dispute-resolution mechanisms as alternatives to the courts. Ways in which the cost of legal representation can be reduced are examined as well. The appendixes include the symposium schedule and the court managers' questionnaire. For individual entries, see NCJ 85307-11.