Fund For Modern Courts Inc

THE FUND FOR MODERN COURTS IS A NONPARTISAN, NONPROFIT, STATEWIDE COURT REFORM ORGANIZATION WHICH HELPS ENSURE A FAIR, EFFICIENT AND ACCESSIBLE COURT SYSTEM FOR ALL NEW YORKERS BY OPERATING PROGRAMS TO INCREASE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE WORK OF THE COURTS AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION IN JUDICIAL REFORM EFFORTS THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS ABOUT THE COURTS AND SPONSORSHIP OF PUBLIC FORUMS AND EVENTS THAT FOCUS ON THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM.

FAMILY COURT REFORM PROJECT - SEE SCHEDULE ODURING 2021, MODERN COURTS' DIRECTORS AND STAFF, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE NY CITY BAR ASSOCIATION, REVIEWED THE OPERATIONS OF THE NYC FAMILY COURT DURING THE PANDEMIC TO SHED LIGHT ON THE CRISIS IN THE FAMILY COURT, DOCUMENT AND ANALYZE STEPS THAT WERE TAKEN (OR NOT TAKEN) IN ORDER TO ENSURE ACCESS TO JUSTICE DURING AND SUBSEQUENT TO THE WORST MONTHS OF THE PANDEMIC, AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MEANINGFUL REFORM BASED ON LESSONS LEARNED. IN CONDUCTING ITS REVIEW, MODERN COURTS INTERVIEWED INSTITUTIONAL PROVIDERS AND LEGAL SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS WORKING IN THE FAMILY COURT AS WELL AS MEMBERS OF THE ASSIGNED COUNSEL ("18-B") PANEL IN EACH BOROUGH, AND PRIORITIZED HEARING DIRECTLY FROM THE LITIGANTS THEMSELVES WHO HAD BEEN IMPACTED.A NUMBER OF DRAFT REPORTS WERE DEVELOPED WHICH INCLUDED THE SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS RAISED BY LAWYERS AND LITIGANTS IN FAMILY COURT, SOME LONG-STANDING AND SOME TRIGGERED OR EXACERBATED BY THE PANDEMIC; THE IMPORTANT QUESTION OF HOW TO IMPROVE THE RELIABILITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF A COURT THAT SERVES MOSTLY POOR, DISENFRANCHISED NEW YORKERS; AND RECOMMENDED: AND SUPPORTED CHANGES THAT ARE NECESSARY. MODERN COURTS FOUND THAT WHEN COVID-19 HIT, AN UNDER-RESOURCED COURT LIKE FAMILY COURT WAS ILL-EQUIPPED TO RESPOND QUICKLY, CONSISTENTLY, FAIRLY, AND COMPREHENSIVELY TO THE NEEDS OF ALL LITIGANTS. THE FINAL REPORT WILL BE MADE PUBLIC IN EARLY 2022.

COURT SIMPLIFICATION PROJECT - SEE SCHEDULE O THROUGHOUT 2021, MODERN COURTS CONTINUED ITS RESEARCH INTO THE STRUCTURE OF THE CURRENT NYS COURT SYSTEM, WHICH IS OVERLY COMPLEX, CONFUSING, AND INEFFICIENT, AND DEVELOPED REPORTS AND POSITION PAPERS THAT EXPLAINED HOW RESTRUCTURING (SIMPLIFYING) THE COURTS SYSTEM WOULD MAKE IT MORE UNDERSTANDABLE FOR NEW YORKERS WHO USE THE COURTS AND PROVIDE IMPROVED ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR ALL. A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME WAS SPENT UPDATING THE MODERN COURTS' WEBSITE (HTTPS://MODERNCOURTS.ORG), WHICH IS MODERN COURTS' MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS OF COMMUNICATING COURT REFORMS TO THE PUBLIC. IN ADDITION, MODERN COURTS CONTINUED TO SUPPORT AND INTERACT WITH THE NETWORK, THE COALITION FOR COURTS SIMPLIFICATION, IT HAD ORGANIZED, WHICH INCLUDED OTHER NOT FOR PROFITS THAT REPRESENT INDIVIDUALS USING THE COURTS, BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS, BAR ASSOCIATIONS AND OTHERS TO PROVIDE A FORUM FOR DISCUSSING THE ISSUE.

CAMERAS IN THE COURTS PROJECT - SEE SCHEDULE O MODERN COURTS INITIATED THE CAMERAS IN THE COURTS PROJECT IN 2021 WHICH IS DESIGNED TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF PERMITTING BOTH MEDIA COVERAGE AND LIVE STREAMING OF COURT PROCEEDINGS WHICH IS CURRENTLY PROHIBITED BY NYS LAW. THE PROJECT ENTAILS CONDUCTING A 50-STATE SURVEY OF THE USE OF CAMERAS IN THE COURTS OF OTHER JURISDICTIONS AND A REVIEW OF THE PRIOR NYS 10-YEAR EXPERIMENT ALLOWING CAMERAS IN THE COURTS AND CONDUCTING INTERVIEWS WITH THOSE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH CAMERAS IN THE COURTS. THE GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS TO CREATE AN EDUCATIONAL "WHITE PAPER" THAT WOULD ANALYZE THE MERITS OF ALLOWING CAMERAS IN THE NYS COURTS AND MAKE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT HOW NYS SHOULD MOVE FORWARD FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAKING THE COURT PROCESSES MORE TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE

LEGAL RESEARCH AND WRITING ON MATTERS OF THE FAIR ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE AND THE OPERATION OF THE COURTS IN NEW YORK STATE.