Preparing Florida courts for the new millennium.

• Author: Harding, Major B.

On July 1, I begin a term as chief justice that will take Florida's court system into the year 2000, the threshold of a new millennium. This is a momentous challenge that I face with hope and humility. To adapt a phrase from Charles Dickens, these are the best of times and the worst of times for courts. Under my predecessor, Justice Gerald Kogan, our judiciary began the long process of earning back public respect by addressing the critical concern of access to the legal system. Justice Kogan's innovative use of cutting-edge technology has become an international model, garnering more awards and honors than any single program in our court's history. It is one of the best things we have ever done. Yet it speaks volumes that programs such as this have become a virtual necessity for courts both inside and outside the state. Never in our history have courts faced such intense skepticism from the public they serve. The challenge we face as the millennium approaches is to allay these concerns in a real and meaningful way.

A scientific survey of Florida court customers taken in 1996 showed only too well where our shortcomings lie. The greatest of all has been the courts' failure to communicate effectively what it is we do. We have made great strides in addressing many problems ranging from more efficient methods of case management to, the elimination of unfair bias. Yet if we do not tell the public about these programs and their successes, then these programs remain invisible to the public. Roger Warren, president of the National Center for State Courts, made a telling point in a recent talk with Florida court representatives when he observed that courts today not only must be effective in administration, but also must be effective in communication. As I start my term as your chief justice, I am taking this opportunity to start the dialog by giving a brief overview of what we hope to achieve in the years ahead.

First and foremost, my administration marks the start of the first long-range strategic plan in Florida court history. This plan has been years in the making, originating with the visioning process begun by former Chief Justice Rosemary Barkett and carried forward into an interim plan developed under former Chief Justice Stephen Grimes and implemented by Justice Kogan's administration. It rests on a broad consensus developed with input from every major institution in Florida as well as the general public. As the complexity of our law and our...