COURT SYMPOSIUM TO FOCUS ON EXCELLENCE IN JUDICIAL ADMINISTRATION
California Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald M. George To Be Keynote Speaker

            The Court Management Advisory Board is presenting a major symposium called "Striving for Excellence in Judicial Administration" on February 27, 2008, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the John Adams Courthouse. The event will bring together judicial, business, legal and management leaders to explore the principles of organization transformation, and to discuss systemic changes that have been made since 2003 in the administration of the Massachusetts courts.

            Five years ago, the Visiting Committee on Management in the Courts, chaired by Boston College Chancellor J. Donald Monan, S.J., issued a harsh assessment of the management of the Massachusetts courts and outlined a blueprint for change, founded on managerial best practices. Since the issuance of the Monan report on March 4, 2003, the Massachusetts court system has embarked on a strategic management reform plan and has made significant progress implementing its administrative priorities.

            "All who serve the Commonwealth in our court system can be proud of the marked progress we have made in the last several years. True reform, though, is a never ending, never fully completed process. We are committed to building on the recent advances so that our goal of becoming a national model of excellence in judicial administration can be fully realized," said Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall.

            California Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald M. George, who heads the largest judicial system in the world, is the Symposium's keynote speaker. The distinguished panelists, who will discuss management change, include Charles D. Baker, Chief Executive Officer of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care; Gene D. Dahmen, a partner at Verrill Dana LLP in Boston; Robert P. Gittens, Vice President for Public Affairs at Northeastern University; Paul F. Levy, Chief Executive Officer at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; and Chief Justice for Administration and Management Robert A. Mulligan. Supreme Judicial Court Justice Robert J. Cordy will serve as moderator.

            Chief Justice Mulligan said, "Through the leadership of the Chief Justices of the Trial Court, we have implemented new management practices, each of which represents major change. The Trial Court is committed to building on this energy and momentum, as we seek and adopt best practices that provide smarter, better ways to deliver the highest quality justice."

            Among the improvements, court leaders now analyze data to assess the equitable distribution of resources, timely disposition of cases, satisfaction of court users and judicial performance. The introduction of MassCourts, a comprehensive web-based case management system, enables the data collection and information sharing needed to track case progress and timeliness.

            Attorney Michael B. Keating, chair of the Court Management Advisory Board, said, "The blueprint for change - the Monan Report - set the bar high, calling for nothing less than a transformation in the culture and practice in the Trial Court. The Court Management Advisory Board is impressed with the progress made to date and knows that more can be achieved. We will continue to encourage and assist Chief Justice Mulligan and his able leadership team as they set new standards for excellence in the management of the Massachusetts court system."

            The Court Management Advisory Board is composed of twelve members in the business, academic and legal communities who by statute advise and assist the court on "all matters of judicial reform."