How many court administrators does it take to screw in a light bulb? Old joke, new answer—as many as you need to get the job done. The development of the court administrator’s listserv allows for an entire group of experts to help one person solve his problem. A listserv is a networking tool that allows groups to communicate quickly. Everyone on the distribution list can easily email each other with questions. It’s just as simple to respond with answers.
The Indiana Supreme Court has 12 listservs. Each unique group shares one thing in common—the desire to stay in contact with others who have information. There is a listserv for the Juvenile Justice Improvement Committee, another for Family Courts, and a 310 person Trial Court Judges listserv. There are hundreds of people on court listservs across the state keeping in touch with their colleagues.
The newest listserv is designed to help Court Administrators. Seventy people in 39 counties are already signed up for the listserv. Hamilton County Court Administrator, Ollie Shierholz believes listservs can be very useful. He explained, “I learned a long time ago that when something comes up, I’m probably not the first person to deal with that sort of problem. You can save yourself a lot of aggravation and solve your problem more quickly when you consult with others.”
That is why an informal listserv was started about four year ago by Madison County Court Administrator Tim States. There were about 15 names on the distribution list. States said that questions frequently surrounded best practice issues. “There is a lot less fear in trying something if you know someone has done it before and it has worked.”
Director of Trial Court Management, Jim Walker is confident the listserv will be one more tool administrators can use to better serve their citizens. “Judges really depend on having a good administrator who is in tune with what is required when it comes to administration rules. Using the listserv to stay in contact with other courts can be very helpful.”
To add an administrator in your county to the listserv, contact Mary Carey at the Division of State Court Administration. She can be reached at [email protected].