National Center for State Courts

10/26/2026

What have courts learned from putting dispute resolution online?

NCSC’s work with court ODR pilots points to some lessons that can help courts launch—or improve—an ODR program.

🎯 Start with the problem, not the platform. Define what you want ODR to accomplish before choosing technology.

👥 Engage people early. Judges, clerks, mediators, litigants, and other stakeholders can help shape a system that works in practice.

🔗 Integrate ODR into existing systems. Connecting with case management, e-filing, and payment systems can create a more
seamless experience for courts and litigants.

🧭 Keep it simple. Streamlining should focus not only on court operations, but on how easily people can navigate the process.

🏛️ Strong leadership matters. Successful programs need leaders who can align stakeholders and sustain momentum.

ODR isn't a technology project alone. It requires thoughtful process design, court leadership, stakeholder engagement, and a focus on the people who use it.

10/23/2026

ODR isn't just online court.

Online dispute resolution gives litigants a digital space to manage a case and work toward resolution without necessarily stepping into a courtroom.

Depending on the court and case type, ODR can allow people to:
📱 Access their case from a computer or mobile device.
💬 Communicate asynchronously, so they don't have to be online at the same time.
⚖️ Access plain-language legal information and triage.
🤝 Negotiate terms, with or without a mediator or facilitator.
📄 Create, share, store, and manage documents and evidence.
💳 Make payments online.
📝 Turn agreed-upon terms into court documents.

ODR is typically used for cases such as small claims, traffic matters, and landlord-tenant disputes—cases where many people may not have lawyers and where timely resolution can make a meaningful difference.

The goal isn't to recreate the courtroom on a screen. It's to rethink the process around how people actually resolve disputes.

Learn how to get ORD right from the start with these eight lessons.

These lessons, drawn from real court pilot programs, offer a foundation for your court to launch or improve an ODR program.

10/23/2026

As data moves between court systems, state repositories, and other justice partners, data relationships must stay intact.

Otherwise, a disposition may exist in the data—but its meaning can become unclear and cause serious consequences.

That’s why data quality isn’t just about asking: “Is the field populated?”
It’s asking: “Can we still understand how the information connects to the case?”

Try this with your team:
➡️ Pick a multi-charge case.
➡️ Follow the data from your court system to the state repository.
➡️ Check whether each disposition remains connected to the correct charge.

What you find may reveal opportunities to strengthen your reporting.

10/22/2026

If your court isn’t teaching employees how to use AI safely, that doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t using it. That’s why AI literacy belongs in workforce planning.

The 2026 Survey of State Courts, from the Thomson Reuters Institute and the National Center for State Courts, found that only 11% of respondents said their court both provides and requires AI training.

So what should that training cover? Not just how to use a tool.

Employees need to understand:
→ What AI can and cannot do
→ How to verify AI-generated information
→ What information should never be entered into a platform
→ Which tools are approved
→ When human judgment must remain in the loop

AI literacy isn’t about making everyone an AI expert. It’s about giving employees the knowledge and judgment to use these tools safely, effectively and responsibly.

Does your court’s AI training reflect the work employees actually do?

10/22/2026

📣 New partnership opportunity! NCSC and Legal Link are partnering to bring Legal First Aid training to court-based navigators.

Together, we’re developing court-specific training modules to complement Legal Link’s existing curriculum. In the new year, we hope to partner with approximately five court navigator programs to pilot the modules and participate in tailored live training.

Does your court have a navigator program interested in participating? We’d love to hear from you!

🔗 Express interest in the pilot. https://bit.ly/LegalLinkNCSC

10/21/2026

Today, the work of justice is more urgent than ever. Public trust is fragile. Access to justice is uneven. Technology is reshaping how disputes arise and courts respond.

Yet we see democracy coming to life in state courts around the country every day. And the National Center for State Courts is here to ensure justice is delivered fairly, equitably, and efficiently.

We are a proudly nonpartisan partner helping courts meet a polarized and evolving moment.

We invite you to join with us in this work and help bring America’s promise a little more within reach.

ncsc.org

10/20/2026

Mark your calendar: After a brief October break, the TRI/NCSC AI Policy Consortium webinar series returns November 18 with a timely discussion of AI-generated deepfakes and altered evidence.

Since the Consortium’s April 2025 webinar on this topic, courts have begun confronting real cases involving deepfake evidence, states have adopted new evidence rules, and proposed Federal Rule of Evidence 707 is open for public comment.

In this next installment, experts will move beyond "what might happen" to explore "what is happening now—and what courts can do about it."

📅 November 18 at 1 p.m. ET

Register now: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ZUPPIm9pQLiEo5aV-UR30w #/registration

10/20/2026

When we talk about guardianship, it’s easy to picture an older adult. But guardianship can affect adults of all ages—including young adults transitioning from childhood services into adulthood.

That matters because the need for support doesn’t look the same for everyone. And the right level of support can change over the course of a person’s life.

For courts and their community partners, a person-centered approach means asking:

What support does this person need?
What alternatives are available?
What can preserve the person’s rights and autonomy?
How might those needs change over time?

Looking beyond the guardianship order means understanding the individual, their circumstances, and the supports available in their community.

The right level of support today may not be the right level of support tomorrow.

10/19/2026

What if courts could make the legal process simpler from the start?

We're inviting state and local courts to rethink how they handle high-volume civil cases, such as eviction, debt collection, and small claims.

Through the Uncomplicated Courts Initiative Pilot Project, one selected court will receive up to $30,000 in funding and a year of hands-on support to assess, redesign, and launch a simpler court process.

Why does this matter? In roughly 75% of civil cases, at least one party navigates the legal system without a lawyer. Simplifying court processes can help make justice more accessible.

Could your court be a good fit?
📅 Application deadline: Oct. 23 at 11:59 p.m. MT
🔗 Learn more and apply: https://www.ncsc.org/opportunity/uncomplicated-courts-initiative

Know a court that could benefit? Share this opportunity with court leaders in your network.

The Uncomplicated Courts Initiative is a partnership between IAALS, the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System, and NCSC, with funding from the State Justice Institute.

Apply for up to $30,000 in funding and support from IAALS and NCSC to redesign high-volume civil case processes. Learn more at an Oct. 5 webinar. Deadline to apply is Oct 23.

10/19/2026

AI can do more than make work faster.

It can give court employees time back for higher-value work. That matters as courts face staffing shortages and growing workloads.

The 2026 Survey of State Courts, from the Thomson Reuters Institute and NCSC, found AI is already being used for tasks such as drafting, editing and research. Respondents expect AI to save an average of 9 hours per week within five years.

The opportunity isn’t simply to work faster. It’s to give time back to people. Less time on repetitive tasks can mean more time for:

• Critical thinking and problem-solving
• Legal research and writing
• Strategic planning
• Serving court users

That makes AI more than a technology conversation. It’s a workforce strategy.

For court leaders: Which tasks consume significant staff time without requiring the highest level of human judgment? That may be where to explore automation first.