Judicial Administration to the 21st Century

Abstract

Enshrined on the marble facade of the Supreme Court building is the phrase Equal Justice Under Law. To this end, judges have historically stressed fair and reasonable decisions. While just decisions are vital, administration of a system of justice is also critically important and deserves similar attention. The Founding Fathers recognized this in the Bill of Rights with the right of the accused to a speedy trial. Recently, Judge Jon Newman of the Court of Appeals of the Second Circuit emphasized that Fairness of [the] system reflects the aggregate impact of the litigation process upon the lives of all actual and potential litigants. It is concerned with the money each person is obliged to spend to achieve an outcome [and] with the time each person must invest until an outcome is reached. .. .' Judges and judicial administrators must consider the consequences and the impact not only of particular judicial decisions, but also of the system in which cases are decided. The judiciary's responsibility is twofold: case adjudication and court management. Despite growing public awareness and support for improved judicial administration, more intellectual and physical energies still need to be concentrated on providing more efficient and economical-and just-means of administering justice. This article traces a brief history of American court administration leadership, identifies important challenges for the 21st century, and offers some ideas for dealing with them.