Model Rules for Electronic
Filing in the Works

The National Center of State Courts (NCSC) and West Group will collaborate on model rules for the electronic filing of documents in state courts nationwide.

Steve Daitch, vice president of Technology Business Development at West Group, says, "The National Center for State Courts is the think tank for state courts. Its publications and conferences are at the forefront of state court administrative and technology planning."

James E. McMillan, director of the NCSC's Court Tecnhology Laboratory, notes that "electronic filing of court documents is an idea whose time is about to come. What is needed is a collection of model rules and plans that can easily be customized and adopted by individual state courts or entire statewide judicial systems."

The model rules for state courts will include a financial analysis of electronic filing showing the productivity gains that can be achieved with this technology; model electronic filing rules for use by state courts; a review of management and policy issues to be addressed by the state courts; a side-by-side comparison of workflow differences and similarities between a manual system and a technology-based system; an assessment of budget planning and infrastructure needs; and a thorough implementation process review.

The final report will be presented through a series of regional conferences next spring and summer.

West Group, headquartered in Eagan, Minn., has dveloped a Web-based filing service that can be demonstrated to courts and vendors that develop case management systems. Interested parties should contact West Group's Court Filing project manager, Philip Ytterberg, at (612) 687-4557.

The National Center for State Courts is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the administration of justice in the state courts. NCSC provides both leadership and service to the state courts through direct technical assistance and consulting, research and technology, information services and education, government relations and association management, and international exchange and cooperation.