Ardia, David S., Privacy and Court Records: Online Access and the Loss of Practical Obscurity (August 4, 2017). University of Illinois Law Review, Vol. 2017, No. 5, 2017. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3013704 “Court records present a conundrum for privacy advocates. Public access to the courts has long been a fundamental tenant of American democracy, helping… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Courts
Free Law Project – We Have Every Free PACER Opinion on CourtListener.com
“At Free Law Project, we have gathered millions of court documents over the years, but it’s with distinct pride that we announce that we have now completed our biggest crawl ever. After nearly a year of work, and with support from the U.S. Department of Labor and Georgia State University, we have collected every free… Continue Reading
Where You Live Impacts Ability To Obtain Representation in Immigration Court
“Newly obtained case-by-case court records show that depending upon the community in which the immigrant resides, the odds of obtaining representation in Immigration Court deportation proceedings vary widely. If you happen to live in Honolulu, Hawaii, the odds are over 90 percent that you will be able to find an attorney to represent you. The… Continue Reading
Report – Disruptive innovation in the courts
“The Joint Technology Committee (JTC) has released a new Resource Bulletin titled “Courts Disrupted.” This paper takes a captivating look at today’s fast-changing world of innovation and public expectations. Recognizing courts will not remain untouched by disruptive innovation, the paper encourages embracing rather than resisting the opportunities to improve business processes and make justice more… Continue Reading
Free Law Project details vulnerability and possible exploits of PACER
Investigate report by the Free Law Project: “PACER/ECF is a system of 204 websites that is run by the Administrative Office of the Courts (AO) for the management of federal court documents. The main function of PACER/ECF is for lawyers and the public to upload and download court documents such as briefs, memos, orders, and… Continue Reading
The Spine of American Law: Digital Text Analysis and U.S. Legal Practice
Funk, Kellen R. and Mullen, Lincoln A., The Spine of American Law: Digital Text Analysis and U.S. Legal Practice (July 12, 2017). American Historical Review (February 2018). Available at SSRN: https:/srn.com/abstract=3001377 “In the second half of the nineteenth century, the majority of U.S. states adopted a novel code of legal practice for their civil courts.… Continue Reading
Residents in Three Out of Four Counties in U.S. Now Before Immigration Court
“The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) at Syracuse University has just released a brand new web mapping application that allows the public to examine for the very first time the number of individuals residing in each state, county, and local community within a county, who have pending cases before the Immigration Court. The level of… Continue Reading
Supreme Court’s new electronic filing system will begin operation on November 13, 2017
“The Supreme Court’s new electronic filing system will begin operation on November 13, 2017. A quick link on the Court’s website homepage will provide access to the new system, developed in-house to provide prompt and easy access to case documents. Once the system is in place, virtually all new filings will be accessible without cost… Continue Reading
Disrupting Mass Incarceration at the Local Level: A Guide to Mapping Reform
Oregon Justice Resource Center: “Public awareness and concern about over-criminalization and over-incarceration has grown significantly in recent years but much of that attention is focused in the wrong places. What happens at the national level tends to be in the spotlight much of the time, despite the fact that most people entering our prisons and… Continue Reading
Bail: An Overview of Federal Criminal Law
CRS report via FAS – Bail: An Overview of Federal Criminal Law, Charles Doyle, Senior Specialist in American Public Law, July 31, 2017. “This is an overview of the federal law of bail. Bail is the release of an individual following his arrest upon his promise—secured or unsecured; conditioned or unconditioned—to appear at subsequent judicial… Continue Reading
Supreme Court launches redesigned website
SCOTUSblog: “Late Friday evening [July 28, 2017] the Supreme Court released a new version of its website (www.supremecourt.gov). The court’s Public Information Office boasts that the site update includes “a more consistent menu structure, a more interactive calendar, faster access through Quick Links, improved page load times, and reduced page scrolling.” For example, instead of… Continue Reading
Ebook – Best Practices for Court Privacy Policy Formulation
“A State Justice Institute supported report, “Best Practices for Court Privacy Policy Formulation” authored by three of our NCSC colleagues, Tom Clarke, Jannet Lewis and Di Graski has just been released. The report begins: “As state and local courts progressively convert their business processes from paper to electronic formats, policies around remote electronic access to… Continue Reading
