The future of your family life is at risk. A considerable portion of your wealth is up for grabs. You are in a completely unfamiliar arena where your fate will be decided by people you don't know and who know nothing about you. That's the scenario faced by many citizens who go into court on a domestic relations matter without an attorney. To ease that anxiety, the Supreme Court's Division of State Court … [Read more...] about Self Help Video for Litigants Without Lawyers
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Indiana Court Executive Elected to National Organization
A national court improvement organization is gaining the leadership of Indiana’s own Lilia Judson. The members of the Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA) elected Judson to serve as the 2008-2009 Vice-President. Judson is the Executive Director of the Indiana Supreme Court Division of State Court Administration. Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard is confident Judson’s leadership will benefit courts across … [Read more...] about Indiana Court Executive Elected to National Organization
Equal Access to Justice in Indiana
In his State of the Judiciary address in 2007, Indiana Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard remarked that out of the 1.6 million new cases filed in the prior year, more than 99% of them began and ended in front of a judge or jury in a trial court. He also reported that about 40% of Indiana’s adult population comes through the courts in a twelve month period. While countless other statistics demonstrate the increased use … [Read more...] about Equal Access to Justice in Indiana
State Funding of CHINS and Juvenile Services on Track for January 1 Transfer
Our trial court judges will continue to see in their courtrooms many children in need of services, and too many juveniles who are in trouble, as the new year begins on January 1, 2009. Someone will still have to foot the bill for taking care of these children and juveniles, but who pays for these services will dramatically change on the first day of the new year. This article takes the reader behind the scenes in s … [Read more...] about State Funding of CHINS and Juvenile Services on Track for January 1 Transfer
Training the Front Lines
When someone comes into a courthouse looking for help, it’s usually the court or clerk’s office staff who leads them in the right direction. It is court and clerk employees who get questions from self-represented litigants and tell the media where court records can be found. Staff members are expected to be the front lines of public service, yet on-going training is not always available for the personnel who inter … [Read more...] about Training the Front Lines