A resource for courts around the world
Since our founding in 1971, NCSC has focused on the efficiency and effectiveness of court management through training, technical assistance, data collection, informed insight for action and implementation and evaluation of solutions. We enable the independently managed courts to tap into a center of excellence, equipping courts to manage the issues that land on their doorstep.
Gaining the trust of our partners
Partnerships and donor support have made NCSC, an independent 501(c)3 organization, a trusted expert to ensure justice is not only fair to all but recognized by all to be fair in state courts and courts around the world. A think tank for state courts, NCSC is the place where opportunities for innovation are identified, captured and tested. Corporations, law firms and individuals are invited to join us in our mission.
Impacting the courts abroad
Our work in all 50 states, six U.S. territories and more than 70 countries around the world provides global impacts that strengthen the rule of law abroad, which also strengthens the administration of justice at home.
We can do better together.
With an eye toward continuous improvement and an aim to enhance public trust and confidence, we need your support to move our mission forward—to promote the rule of law and improve the administration of justice. Supporting the Innovation Fund allows NCSC to swiftly and nimbly react to the needs of state courts without having to secure funding first - working with the Conference of Chief Justices and Conference of State Court Administrators to provide solutions that make an immediate impact in courthouses around the country.
Scope
- Over 95% of litigation in the United States takes place in state courts each year, or 83 million cases in 2019.
- NCSC supports more than 150 projects for state court jurisdictions per year, in addition to our work with the Conference of Chief Justices and Conference of State Court Administrators and 12 additional associations.
- State courts play a significant and independent role in implementing federal programs and policies, serving at the epicenter of a personal/family crisis and the administration of the law.
- State supreme courts typically have the final word in questions of state law with decisions affecting the lives of millions of residents.
- In 2021, legislators in at least 35 states considered at least 153 bills targeting state courts. (Source: Legislative Assaults on State Courts — December 2021 Update, Brennan Center for Justice)
Areas of work & impact
Making tangible impacts
Supporting innovation to enhance access to justice
Did NCSC see the future coming? It’s hard to know, but the National Center helped organize a 2019 national summit on pandemic preparation just months before we all learned the term coronavirus. And NCSC was fast out of the gates to establish a Pandemic Rapid Response Team (RRT) in 2020. “I cannot say enough about how the National Center has supported our courts throughout this pandemic,” says retired Michigan Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack, who co-chaired a work group on how to use technology to hyper-accelerate innovation in the courts to expand access to justice. The RRT has produced over 130 hands-on resources, from video clips to webinars to checklists. Over 150,000 users have already accessed NCSC’s directory of pandemic resources.
Advocating for a better way for evictions
There may be no bigger megaphone in American public life than the op-ed pages of the Sunday New York Times, which is where two Chief Justices argue that “it should take more than ten minutes to evict someone.” The guest essay, co-authored by Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby of Washington, D.C., and Chief Justice Nathan Hecht of Texas, puts a spotlight on NCSC’s Eviction Diversion Initiative, which provides funding to state courts to hire staff members to ensure the sustainability of their eviction prevention and diversion programs. The end goals are simple: reduce homelessnes while ensuring landlords are made whole.
How we make a difference
Our relationships with state courts and courts around the world give us a front row seat to see tangible change occur from the work of NCSC. The people who work with and do business with courts—whether by choice or circumstance—drive our goals to provide improved court processes, education and innovations. Our work aims to make justice more accessible for all. Above are a few stories we think are worth sharing.
Reports & financials
Each year, NCSC’s Annual Report provides a broader understanding of the scope and relevance of the organization’s work and our commitment to improving the administration of justice and promoting the rule of law in state courts and around the world. NCSC also makes its financial reports available for review.