Today, I will talk about how important it is to perform a needs assessment, focusing on how proper planning from a courthouse improvement project's beginning phase can avoid wasted time and extra expenses as the project progresses through its subsequent phases.

Architectural firms and court planning consultants have both unique and overlapping skill sets. If you are concerned that your courthouse is overcrowded and out of space, which should you hire to plan for future space needs and courthouse planning?

For many years, I assessed courthouses, and additional file storage has been a common need for court and related components. The introduction of electronic filing and imaging has now reduced storage in many courts, and I find more courts with reduced filing needs and even vacant file rooms. This...