Law Practice Management Tips & Tricks

• Jurisdiction: Kansas,United States
• Citation: Vol. 91 No. 1 Pg. 12
• Pages: 12
• Publication year: 2022

Law Practice Management Tips & TricksNo. 91 J. Kan. Bar Assn 1, 12 (2022)Kansas Bar JournalFebruary, 2022

January 2022

New Year Goals: Video Hearings

By Larry N. Zimmerman

Anew year is a new opportunity to evaluate aspirations and set goals. Two years of ad hoc pandemic response has provided a mountain of data about video hearings. I personally have attended hundreds and have a much clearer idea of how I see the process working for Kansans, including some simple goals we could adopt to improve the process for everyone involved.

Video Hearings Increase Access to Justice The unexpectedly sudden roll-out of video hearings across the state has been the single largest improvement in access to judgment in my lifetime. Video hearings have the following:

• Reduced barriers to appearing in court. Lack of transportation, distance from courthouse, lack of childcare, work/school responsibilities and health issues are all addressed by making video hearings more prevalent.

• Reduced costs for appearing in court. Windshield time and travel expenses for lawyers, litigants and witnesses, combined with time away from work or family, are significant, hidden costs of litigation -especially in large, open Kansas.

• Improved public visibility of the courts. Members of the public have been able to view routine hearings online, helping improve their own preparations with their attorneys or self-represented appearances. I have lost...