Volume 24, No. 4 January 2014 

E-SJI NEWS SJI NEWS

In this Issue 

Federal Strategic Plan 

on Human Trafficking 

Released 

1 

Cochise, AZ Strategic 

Planning Project 

2 

FY 2014 

Appropriations 

2 

SRL Definitions and 

Counting Rules 

3 

Page 1 

Human Trafficking and the State Courts 

Collaborative Included in 

Strategic Action Plan on Human Trafficking 

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For more content from the recent SJI Board meeting, important national resource announcements, and partner updates, look 

no further than the SJI Facebook

and Twitter pages. 

On January 14, 2014, the first-ever Federal Strategic 

Action Plan on Services for Victims of Human Trafficking in the United States was released. After 

several months of coordination with the White 

House, Executive Branch agencies, and other entities, the SJI-sponsored Human Trafficking and the 

State Courts Collaborative was included as a part of 

this national effort (see pages 33-34, and 60). While 

SJI’s contribution to the plan appears small, it is in 

fact one of the only components of the plan that 

includes the state courts as a justice system stakeholder in addressing human trafficking. 

The plan lays out a five-year path for increased coordination, collaboration, and capacity across the federal government and in partnership with other governmental and nongovernmental entities at all levels. It describes the steps that federal agencies will 

take to ensure that all victims of human trafficking in 

the United States are identified, and have access to 

the services they need to recover and to rebuild their 

lives. This includes a victim services network that is 

comprehensive, trauma-informed, and responsive to 

the needs of all victims, regardless of the type of 

trafficking they endured. More than 15 federal agencies (led by the Departments of Justice, Health and 

Human Services, and Homeland Security) worked 

with stakeholders and participated in listening sessions across the country to develop this plan, as well 

as solicited feedback through a 45-day public comment period. 

In FY 2013, SJI awarded a Strategic Initiatives Grant 

(SIG) to the Center for Public Policy Studies/The 

National Judicial College/Center for Court Innovation (CPPS/NJC/CCI) to form a Human Trafficking 

and the State Courts Collaborative focused on 4 

strategic priorities: 1) increasing understanding and 

awareness about the challenges faced by state courts 

in dealing with cases involving trafficking victims 

and their families, and traffickers; 2) developing and 

testing state and local approaches for assessing and 

addressing the impact of human trafficking victims 

and defendants in the state courts; 3) enhancing state 

and local court capacity to improve court services 

affected by human trafficking-related case processing demands; and 4) building effective national, 

state, and local partnerships for addressing the impacts of human trafficking case processing in the 

state courts.
E-SJI News Volume 24, No. 4 January 2014 

Page 2 

With support from SJI, the Cochise County, 

Arizona, Superior and Justice Courts recently 

completed a comprehensive planning process 

that included court-community collaboration, 

strategic planning, and reengineering (SJI-12-

T-170). “The process and end products were 

incredibly beneficial to our Court. They 

helped us connect with and strengthen relationships with our external partners. And, the 

plan has helped us communicate the Court’s 

priorities and demonstrate our need for additional resources,” says Presiding Judge James 

Conlogue. According to Court Administrator 

Eric Silverberg, “The strategic planning process was the right tool to use to prompt strategic 

thinking, establish clear priorities, involve 

partners, judges, and employees, and take 

action in our Court. It will help ensure we use 

our limited resources prudently and on our 

highest priorities to best serve our communities.” 

The Court’s leadership had multiple objectives 

for embarking on its first strategic planning 

process, which proved to be an effective leadership and change management tool. The 

objectives included: 

Thinking critically and strategically about 

the future of the courts and developing a 

clear direction and sound strategies for 

improving court performance and services;

tion our court and legal culture, and our desired objectives,” says Silverberg. Specifically, the process included: 

Extensive outreach to and involvement of 

internal and external partners and stakeholders through a survey and courtcommunity planning conference;

An analysis of relevant internal and external trends;

Facilitated, interactive planning sessions 

with a diverse but small Court Planning 

Team; and

A planned and structured implementation 

approach with defined strategic initiatives 

and project implementation teams. 

As a small, rural County in southern Arizona 

(bordering Mexico), the needs are high despite 

limited resources. The courts know there are 

challenges ahead, but their hard work, clear 

focus, and resiliency will enable them to continue providing the highest quality of justice 

and court services. 

The final strategic planning report and strategic projects plan for Cochise County Superior 

and Justice Courts are available through the 

NCSC Library eCollection (Digital Archive). 

Cochise County, Arizona 

Strategic Planning Project 

Reconnecting with and involving justice 

system partners and stakeholders in identifying and prioritizing needed court improvements, ultimately strengthening 

relationships;

Involving judges and court staff from 

both the Superior and Justice Courts in 

identifying future priorities, ensuring 

their voices were heard;

Aligning funding and staffing resources 

with strategic priorities; and

Developing an implementation and follow-through approach for long-term sustainability. 

The above objectives were achieved with the 

assistance of Dr. Brenda Wagenknecht-Ivey, 

CEO of PRAXIS Consulting, Inc.. “Dr. 

Wagenknecht-Ivey worked with us to customize a planning process taking into consideraStatus of FY 2014 Appropriations 

On January 15, 2014, the House approved the 

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014 (H.R. 

3547), which included $4,900,000 for SJI. 

The Senate approved the bill on January 16th, 

and it was signed by the President on January 

17th. 

SJI now has its full-year appropriation for FY 

2014, and will continue awarding grants on a 

quarterly basis. 

As a reminder, there are three grant deadlines 

remaining in FY 2014: February 1st (2nd quarter); May 1st (3rd Quarter), and August 1st (4th

Quarter). 
Page 3 

SJI Board of Directors

Chairman 

James R. Hannah 

Chief Justice 

Supreme Court of Arkansas 

Little Rock, AR 

Vice Chairman 

Daniel J. Becker 

State Court Administrator 

Utah AOC 

Salt Lake City, UT 

Secretary 

Gayle A. Nachtigal 

Senior Circuit Court Judge 

Washington County Circuit Court 

Hillsboro, OR 

Treasurer 

Hernan D. Vera 

President & CEO 

Public Counsel Law Center 

Los Angeles, CA 

Chase T. Rogers 

Chief Justice 

Supreme Court of Connecticut 

Hartford, CT 

Jonathan Lippman 

Chief Judge of the State of New York 

New York Court of Appeals 

New York, NY 

David V. Brewer 

Justice 

Oregon Supreme Court 

Salem, OR 

Wilfredo Martinez 

County Judge 

9th Judicial Circuit of Florida 

Orlando, FL 

Marsha J. Rabiteau 

Executive Director 

Legal Policy Strategies Group 

Bloomfield, CT 

John B. Nalbandian 

Partner 

Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP 

Cincinnati, OH 

Isabel Framer 

President 

Language Access Consultants, LLC 

Copley, OH

Jonathan D. Mattiello 

Executive Director 

The State Justice Institute is a federallyfunded, non-profit corporation established by 

federal law in 1984 to improve the quality of 

justice in the state courts. 

E-SJI News Volume 24, No. 4 January 2014 

Courts across the country have experienced a 

significant increase in the number of cases 

involving self-represented litigants. 

To assist in meeting the demand for additional 

resources, the Court Statistics Project (CSP), 

with support from SJI, recently released a 

report titled, Developing Standardized Definitions and Counting Rules for Cases with SelfRepresented Litigants, (SJI-12-P-084). 

CSP, a joint project of the National Center for 

State Courts (NCSC) and the Conference of 

State Court Administrators (COSCA), has 

developed a number of products through extensive research and collection of case data 

that advance the courts’ ability to address self

-represented litigant demands with efficiency, 

and in the fairest manner possible. The project 

to standardize self-represented litigant definitions and counting rules was initiated with the 

goal of establishing a consistent approach to 

CSP intends to use this data to facilitate greater 

understanding of the nature and extent of selfrepresentation in the state courts. 

Recommendations are provided in three key 

areas necessary to case processing: 1) definitions; 2) counting rules; and, 3) reporting 

guidelines. Each area is well-defined with the 

intent of avoiding ambiguity when it comes to 

New Report by the Court Statistics Project 

Provides Additional Resources 

reporting cases with self-represented litigants, 

and fostering a means by which comparative 

data could be produced within and among 

jurisdictions. 

collecting, interpreting , and reporting 

caseload data. The final report also addresses 

court technology standards that reflect the 

level of capabilities required to manage datadriven operational changes.