Law Practice Management Tips & Tricks
| Date | 01 April 2010 |
| Publication year | 2010 |
| Pages | 21 |
Interim Report Maps Out Hopeful Next Steps for Electronic Filing
By Larry N. Zimmerman, Valentine & Zimmerman P.A., Topeka
E-Filing in Kansas: Interim Report Released
The state revenue numbers continue to disappoint and the judicial branch is still staring down a crisis with impacts ranging from shortened courthouse hours to consolidated districts. Regardless, the Supreme Court Electronic Filing Committee has plowed forward and made its interim report on electronic filing available for download at www.kscourts.org. This document is significant to Kansas attorneys and budget wonks for two key reasons. First, it traces the Herculean efforts of the district courts and Office of Judicial Administration to slash costs by migrating toward standardized case management systems, document imaging, and payment systems throughout 29 of31 judicial districts. Second, the interim report maps out the hopeful next steps in deploying a cost-saving, uniform electronic filing system in the district courts.
Laying Foundations
The case management system (CMS) for the district courts is the core tool for managing all the data associated with a case – everything from bench notes by the judge to payment of fees and costs. “A CMS – FullCourt – was selected by a previous study committee for implementation in the district courts. Grant funding led to the installation of the FullCourt CMS in 29 judicial districts (103 counties) … .” (Interim Report of the Kansas Supreme Court’s Electronic Filing Committee, 2010, p. 3).
A uniform CMS throughout the state provides economies of scale in support and reporting which benefit both local and state governments (lower costs) while providing better analysis and planning capabilities and dramatically improved access to dockets and pleadings for the public (increased services). Standardizing around the FullCourt CMS also aids deployment of document imaging systems and electronic payment systems. All three components are necessary to fully leverage the benefits of electronic filing.
Recommended Next Steps
The proposal before the Electronic Filing Committee sets out guidelines believed to ensure any electronic filing solution implemented provides the best return on investment. The realistic guidelines are drawn directly from the experience of Shawnee County's electronic filing pilot project, other states'...
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