Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall today announced that the judicial branch has made "significant progress in the management of the courts" when she delivered her Annual Address to the Legal Community at a second annual event held in the John Adams Courthouse, sponsored by the Massachusetts Bar Association.

         She said a well-functioning court system needs to follow business model principles, including "focus, disciplined management, efficiency, and responsiveness." She cited several major management reforms that the courts have made in the past year.

         Chief Justice Marshall said that the Court Management Advisory Board (CMAB), comprised of well respected outside management experts, recently issued a second yearly report on the performance of the Trial Court, which stated that CMAB members "were struck by the energy displayed by local court leadership and the commitment to achieve progress" on court management reforms. The CMAB also lauded progress in implementing MassCourts, the Trial Court's electronic case management system and on the application of the Trial Court's staffing models, another new court management tool to help guide the courts with equitable allocation of resources based on case volume and complexities.

         Chief Justice Marshall emphasized that the use of court metrics, the establishment of objective goals to measure how the courts are meeting their time standards with cases moving through the system, have been valuable tools in determining the courts' progress. She said that Chief Justice for Administration and Management Robert A. Mulligan instituted metrics reports, which provide data to measure the courts' performance. In 2006, one goal was to reduce aged cases by 33 percent. In fact, the data shows that the number of aged cases was reduced by more than half, from approximately 177,000 cases to 87,500 in 2006. "We know our courts are expediting the delivery of justice because the data tell us so," she stated. She also said the Trial Court metrics reports and the CMAB reports are available online at www.mass.gov/courts for everyone to view.

         She announced that Chief Justice Mulligan is establishing a new metric this year to focus on constituent satisfaction in an effort to help the courts better understand public perceptions and needs. "This new metric will enable the Trial Courts to capture not only improvements in the delivery of justice, but the perceptions of progress of those who use courts," she said. A pilot program has been instituted in the Boston Municipal Court.

         Technological innovation is another measure of progress in court management, Chief Justice Marshall said. She called MassCourts "a significant achievement and an important public safety initiative by allowing more accurate information sharing in criminal cases throughout the courts and their constituent agencies." She thanked Appeals Court Judge James McHugh and Chief Information Officer Craig Burlingame for leading the massive ongoing Trial Court technology venture and bringing it to fruition.

         She announced a new initiative in the Clerk's Office of the Supreme Judicial Court with a project to scan all briefs filed in cases to be heard by the full Court and to make them electronically available on the Court's website. She said that these briefs will soon be linked to the webcasts of the oral arguments and the Court's opinions. The goal, she said, is "to make our courts more accessible and transparent for all."

         Chief Justice Marshall also announced the establishment of two new projects in partnership with the bar. She said that the Justices have decided to support the creation of a Massachusetts Bar Association committee to develop plain English jury instructions in civil cases. Calling it a worthwhile initiative, she said, "The English language should not be a barrier to justice."

         The second new venture, she announced, is a series of bench-bar meetings to elicit reactions from lawyers concerning court management initiatives. She said these meetings will be held regionally throughout the state next year. A similar successful forum at a Boston law firm was held last May with 125 attorneys in attendance with Chief Justice Marshall, Chief Justice Mulligan, and CMAB members. She said input from lawyers and a dialogue with judges will have great value as the courts continue to implement management reforms.

         Following Chief Justice Marshall"s address, a panel of distinguished judges and lawyers discussed jury communication issues, including jury selection, instruction and post-trial contact.