Programs

  • The Justice Index Project

    SIGNATURE PROJECTS THE JUSTICE INDEX, HTTPS://NCAJ.ORG/STATE-RANKINGS/JUSTICE-INDEX, IS A WEB-BASED SYSTEM IN WHICH WE PRESENT DATA SHOWING THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE 50 STATES, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND PUERTO RICO, HAVE ADOPTED BEST POLICIES FOR ASSURING ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR ALL. THIS PROJECT ASSUMES PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS FUNCTION BEST WHEN PEOPLE UNDERSTAND HOW THEY OPERATE, WHEN PERFORMANCE CAN BE EVALUATED, AND WHEN ANALOGOUS INSTITUTIONS ARE COMPARED. BY SETTING BENCHMARKS, IDENTIFYING BEST POLICIES AND PRACTICES, AND PUBLISHING DATA, THE JUSTICE INDEX EMPOWERS JUDGES, COURT ADMINISTRATORS, OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, JOURNALISTS, ACADEMICS, ACTIVISTS, AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN THEIR RESPECTIVE EFFORTS TO IMPROVE OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE JUSTICE INDEX FOCUSES ON FOUR CATEGORIES, SPECIFICALLY ATTORNEY ACCESS, SELF-REPRESENTED LITIGANT ACCESS, LANGUAGE ACCESS, AND DISABILITY ACCESS. THE FINES AND FEES INDEX PROJECT - NCAJ IS EXPANDING THE JUSTICE INDEX TO TRACK THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE 50 STATES, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HAVE ADOPTED BEST POLICIES FOR CURBING THE EXCESSIVE USE OF GOVERNMENT IMPOSED FINES AND FEES. THE LEGAL EMPOWERMENT PROJECT - NCAJ IS RESEARCHING AND WRITING ABOUT THE POTENTIAL VALUE OF MODELS THAT WOULD ENABLE PEOPLE TO OBTAIN BASIC LEGAL ADVICE FROM CATEGORIES OF TRAINED AND QUALIFIED PRACTITIONERS WHO ARE NOT ATTORNEYS, INCLUDING, FOR EXAMPLE, SOCIAL WORKERS, LIBRARIANS, CASEWORKERS, AND ORGANIZERS. THE RESEARCH PROJECT - NCAJ WORKS ON PROJECTS WITH SOCIAL SCIENTISTS, CARRIES OUT ITS OWN RESEARCH PROJECTS, SERVES AS A LIAISON TO THE SOCIAL SCIENCE COMMUNITY FOR STAKEHOLDERS IN THE ACCESS TO JUSTICE COMMUNITY, AND HELPS TO EDUCATE THE ACCESS TO JUSTICE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE NATURE AND IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH ON ACCESS TO JUSTICE. LANGUAGE ACCESS - NCAJ WORKS TO ENSURE THAT COURTS, LAWYERS, LITIGANTS, AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF ADEQUATE LANGUAGE ACCESS IN THE COURTS. OUR JUSTICE INDEX INCLUDES A LANGUAGE ACCESS SUB-INDEX THAT IS ROUTINELY USED BY GOVERNMENT, COURT OFFICIALS, REPORTERS, AND THE PUBLIC TO PROMOTE SELECTED BEST PRACTICES FOR INTERPRETING AND TRANSLATING IN STATE COURT SYSTEMS.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jan 1, 2022 – Dec 31, 2022
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $360.6K