Inside courts today, it's budget, budget, budget. Judges are asked to do a lot more with a lot less. Commissioners, court reporters, bailiffs, research attorneys and administrative support are a fond and distant memory. Veteran judges have added to their busy caseloads not only matters once handled by subordinate judicial officers - small claims, mental health hearings, probable cause determinations - but now are typing their own orders and taking out the trash. What can lawyers do to help?
Comply with case management conference orders.
Between one-third and one-half of the court's case management conferences could be eliminated if parties complied with court-ordered deadlines for serving parties, filing answers or defaults, meeting and conferring with opposing counsel on ADR and timely completion of ADR. Approximately 75 minutes of clerical time is required every time a case is reset on the judge's docket, which costs about $48 and that doesn't include the judge's time.
Originally published in The Daily Journal - April 25, 2014.
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