Paper: Courts Need to Provide Access to Justice in Rural America (COSCA 2018)

In a detailed policy paper entitled, Courts Need to Provide Access to Justice in Rural America, and published in 2018 by the Conference of State Court Administrators, readers will find a thoughtful analysis of how rural courts can expand access and support rural communities. The paper covers the following areas:

• THE CHALLENGE: RURAL JUSTICE IN AN URBAN SOCIETY
• DEFINING “RURAL AMERICA”
• RURAL POPULATION DECLINE
• AGING POPULATION
• TECHNOLOGY
• COSTS OF MAINTAINING THE TRADITIONAL BRICK-AND-MORTAR COURTHOUSE
• OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR RURAL AMERICANS
• THE POTENTIAL AND PITFALLS OF TECHNOLOGY FOR RURAL JUSTICE
• COURT STRUCTURE;ALTERNATIVES TO THE TRADITIONAL MODEL FOR RURAL JUSTICE
• ATTRACTING RESOURCES TO RURAL AREAS
• STATE COURTS CAN ENHANCE ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR RURAL POPULATIONS THROUGH INNOVATION, REENGINEERING OF COURT PROCESSES AND DEDICATION OF NECESSARY RESOURCES