Courts do not generate their own workload - they respond to other organizations and the public. For example, on the criminal side, a court is a "downstream" organization, meaning it must respond to the initiatives of prosecutors and law enforcement. On the civil side, courts are responsive to the...

The use of collegial judges’ chambers is a developing trend in courthouse design. A collegial chambers arrangement is where two or more judges’ chambers suites are grouped together, apart from the courtrooms, instead of the traditional arrangement with a judge’s chambers suite being adjacent to his...

In my role as a court planner, I have traveled across the country to dozens of courts to learn about trends that are impacting court workload. During the past several years, it has struck me that many courts are handling a growing number of defendants who are battling mental health issues. This...

Have you considered undertaking a comprehensive courthouse planning exercise to take a deep dive into external factors that may impact your court? Do you believe your court could benefit from a planning effort that sets a vision for the future? You may know you need a strategy to navigate through a...

Do you believe your court could benefit from a planning effort that sets a vision for the future? Have you undertaken planning exercises that seemed comprehensive at the time but became obsolete due to unforeseen external factors? Was there a change in leadership in your court jurisdiction that...