National Center for State Courts ($2,000,000)
This project will provide training, education, research, and technical support to all state court systems in the United States.
On an annual basis, state courts average more than 102 million court filings, or more than 98 percent of all litigation filed in the United States. These numbers illustrate the critical role that state courts play in adjudicating our nation's legal disputes. With more than 30,000 judges and 20,000 courthouses nationwide, state courts serve as the backbone of this country's justice system, upholding laws enacted on both the federal and state levels and implementing federal policy.
To support the evolving and growing needs of the state courts and to support their efforts, it is imperative that there be one central organization to provide training, education, research, and technical support to all of the state court systems in the United States. The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) was created to perform this function.
All fifty states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories partner with NCSC. NCSC serves as the most efficient mechanism for communication, education, training, and implementation of successful practices to achieve a more seamless system of justice across the U.S.
NCSC was founded in 1971 by former U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren E. Burger, the Conference of Chief Justices, and the Conference of State Court Administrators.
Recipient: National Center for State Courts
300 Newport Avenue
Williamsburg, Virginia 23185
Why this is a good use of taxpayer dollars: NCSC conducts research, provides education and training, and performs technology and management services to enable and equip courts to provide justice as set forth in the preamble of the U.S. Constitution. NCSC services allow judges, court administrators, and key court personnel to meet current and future needs, make fair and impartial decisions, and save time and money. Increasing federal requirements and more complicated types of litigation (such as mass torts, complex commercial litigation, foreclosures, and evidence-based sentencing) are causing increased demand for NCSC services.
