By Amanda Wishin, Research Attorney · Indiana Office of Court Services
Based on a recommendation from the Civil Litigation Taskforce, the Civil Case Management Pathways Pilot project was established by Supreme Court order and began with 7 judges on June 1, 2023, for a 2-year period.
By order of the Indiana Supreme Court, the pilot was extended until December 31, 2026, and expanded to 12 additional judges:
Judge Rehana R. Adat-Lopez
Lake Superior Court, Civil Div. 6
Judge Russell D. Bailey
Jasper Superior Court
Judge A. Richard Blaiklock
Marion Superior Court
Judge Judi L. Calhoun
Delaware Circuit Court 1
Judge Michael Christofeno
Elkhart Circuit Court
Judge Clayton Graham
Marion Superior Court
Judge Maria D. Granger
Floyd Superior Court 3
Judge Andrew Hicks
Elkhart Superior Court 2
Judge Kristina C. Kantar
Lake Superior Court, Civil Div. 4
Judge Bruce D. Parent
Lake Superior Court, Civil Div. 7
Judge Kyle Williams
Clark Superior Court 6
Judge Jamie C. Woods
St. Joseph Superior Court
Pathways allow courts to achieve right-sized case management to best align court management practices and resources with the potential complexity of the case. This decreases the amount of time until case disposition, significantly reduces discovery disputes, allows judges to spend more time on complicated issues, and increases the satisfaction of court users.
Judge Kantar talked about why she wanted to join the pilot: “I was drawn toward the idea of not doing things a certain way simply because ‘it’s always been done this way.’”
Similarly, Judge Hicks believes, “We have a duty to the public to provide an efficient judicial system for conflict resolution and problem solving. This pilot program provides an opportunity to examine what we are doing and what we can do better.”
“I was attracted to the idea that one set of rules could be put in place to keep civil litigation moving forward statewide yet still providing judicial officers with the ability to exercise their discretion in scheduling,” said Judge Parent. His fellow Lake County judge, Judge Adat-Lopez seconded his statement, adding, “It is helping me manage my docket more efficiently.”
Testing the concept
The extended pilot period provides judges the opportunity to thoroughly test case management concepts through the entirety of the life of all the piloted case types and find the methods that best keep cases moving. As Judge Blaiklock explained, “I am very interested in moving cases along. The pilot project provides a framework for doing so.” He hopes that at the end of the pilot, the Court will have “an understanding of what tools help efficiently move cases to disposition.”
The pilot parameters provide both time guidelines for case disposition and an informal process to try dissipating discovery disputes. “The length of time getting a case to disposition and avoiding lengthy and expensive discovery dispute briefing” has always frustrated Judge Blaiklock.
Judge Parent has similar thoughts: “I have always been frustrated by the unwillingness of lawyers to take the lawsuits that they file to trial, especially within a reasonable time of filing. There are very few reasons why a case should be pending eight years after it was filed and ten years after the events therein occurred. The processes in this program directly address the expedient progression of cases through civil litigation.”
One of the pilot tenets is entering a case management order with firm deadlines. “Having the backing of our Supreme Court in ‘holding the line’ on deadlines is empowering to judicial officers,” added Judge Parent.
Judge Woods noted the participating judges also hope that the pilot program will “increase my efficiency as a judge and make me a better jurist.”
Required initial disclosures and limitations on discovery are two facets of case management during the pilot. Judge Hicks reported that he “likes the idea of initial disclosures and limiting discovery and looks forward to litigants’ feedback. As attorneys are learning about the pilot, it feels like everyone is going into it with an open mind.” He added, “I like the idea of leaving things in a better state than when I found them. It is important to reexamine how we do things from time to time.”
While many of the pilot parameters deal with shortening complex litigation, streamlined cases are also addressed. The goal for streamlined cases is disposition within 6 months. Already since June 1, 2025, Judge Kantar has noticed that the pilot “has really shown where and how cases lag, or become stagnant, and prevents this stagnation moving forward. This program, especially in the streamlined pathway cases, really results in a final disposition in well under six months. I am setting more and more hearings in streamlined cases and addressing issues that normally just pend without resolution so that final disposition may be obtained.“
Communication is key
Communication between attorneys and judges is both encouraged and required, and it’s a big part of keeping things moving in a civil case. Judge Woods joined the pilot because it “requires counsel to begin discussing the procedural handling of the matter early in the case. The attorneys that practice in front of me regularly are pragmatic and efficient. Requiring early communication between counsel will only assist in the early resolution of matters.”
While the program focuses on efficiency, it isn’t without some burden on judicial officers and their staff on the front end. “While the program has created additional work for me and my staff, in the long run, I believe it will decrease the number of contested motions filed by the parties as the program fosters more frequent and productive communication between the attorneys and parties leading to greater consensus where possible and more efficiency. It also fosters more communication with the court so that the court can advise the parties where necessary and keep cases moving forward,” noted Judge Adat-Lopez.
Judge Kantar also stated, “What has always frustrated me in the practice of law is lack of communication, and this program forces communication. Communication allows simple cases to be resolved quickly, so that judicial time and attention is available for complex cases.”
As a result of the pilot, Judge Hicks “hopes the rules encourage communication between parties, especially attorney-attorney conversations. In today’s world, there are so many ways to communicate with each other, and yet people increasingly fail to meaningfully communicate. Even if communication does not lead to settlement, it could at least lead to identifying the core issues of a dispute. If those core issues are dealt with early, the parties have a better opportunity to resolve their case.”
Hopes for the future
The new pilot judges have hopes that their work will result in permanent recommendations that make all Indiana civil cases move more efficiently. Judge Woods is “hopeful that the data gathered during the program and feedback from both judges and counsel will lead to uniform guidelines for the procedural handling of cases, while still allowing the litigants flexibility to modify those guidelines for good cause.”
Judge Parent “hopes that this program accomplishes two things: to establish a set of best practices for civil litigation; and to create a process to streamlined discovery, especially in complex litigation.” Judge Adat-Lopez believes that best practices will “help with procedural consistency in handling civil litigation matters throughout the state.”
Judge Hicks believes, “People should not have to wait years to resolve their problems. It creates issues on a personal level for people. Their lives and decisions are placed on hold. The longer a lawsuit is, the more money it costs. It has become cost prohibitive to try a jury trial except in extreme cases, especially in commercial cases. We can do better.”