Long Range Plan for Information Technology in the Federal Judiciary FY 2009

Strategic Questions

It is important to use technology in a way that advances and enhances the performance of the basic mission of the courts. In considering the judiciary’s information technology program, four fundamental questions emerge:

How does the state of the technology fit with the state of the law?
Technology makes possible such innovations as remote testimony and electronic discovery. Although these innovations can offer efficiencies that traditional approaches do not, their use can also raise issues not addressed by current practice and statutes, such as newly introduced security concerns or applications of evidentiary rules. The challenge is to bring the efficiencies of new technologies to bear while at the same time aligning the policy and the technology.

Who is going to do the work?
The impact of technology on daily life and the workplace cannot be overstated. The service-based economy is rapidly becoming a self-service economy. Technology creates productivity gains in some areas—such as clerk’s offices—but may shift some workload to others, such as attorneys or chambers.

How uniform does the judiciary want to be or have to be?
The judiciary’s national information technology program delivers infrastructure and systems to the courts covering the mission critical business areas, such as case management, finance, and communications. Any specific needs at the local level are addressed by court information technology staff. The key to success is achieving balance between economies of scale and the allowance for local variations in processes and procedures.

How remote or “virtual” does the judiciary want to be?
Technology has made the courts more accessible to litigants and the public. However, using technology to make the courts more transparent, consistent, and efficient must be balanced with the need to preserve the individual judge’s discretion, the confidentiality of chambers and court information, and the institutional dignity integral to the federal judicial system. In many cases, technology is rendering the distance between the court, litigants, and taxpayer irrelevant. Technology is fundamentally changing human interactions, yet it is critical to preserve the “human face” of the courts.