LA court's strategic plan includes data for best use of resources

The Superior Court of Los Angeles County announced a 2025-2028 Strategic Plan aimed at enhancing the court user experience and building public trust, while using technology and data to make better decisions on use of resources.

"For far too long, decisions have been made on this court that didn't really look at data," Presiding Judge Sergio C. Tapia II said in a phone interview.

"The number of resources in criminal have remained the same for quite some time," he said. "Now we are using data to say, 'You know what, let's reallocate those resources to places like civil, where filings have skyrocketed, to family, where requests for orders have skyrocketed, and other areas that require more resources.'"

"We've really flipped the switch in the last 2 1/2 years, and as we move forward, we are committed to ensuring that we always use data and numbers to make critical decisions. For instance ... we can tell you where we need the most resources, because we know where most of the filings are coming from."

As far as use of the court by the public and attorneys, Executive Officer and Clerk of Court David W. Slayton said, "The goal is to, overall, make it easier to find things."

New tools include an AI chat on the court's website and an overhaul of the notice system for tenants who have eviction claims initiated against them.

"That will not only provide them better information but also help them to find their records online more easily," Slayton said in a phone interview last week. "So, there's a whole slew of projects similar to that that we're working through just to try to make it easier for people to have the access."

Developed over eight months by 21 judicial officers in collaboration with court staff, the court's first multi-year strategic plan since 2012 emphasizes five key areas of transformation: enhancing accessibility and user experience, building public trust and confidence, streamlining case resolution and modernizing court operations, fostering innovation and agility, and empowering a future-ready judiciary and workforce.

"The public rightly expects the judiciary to keep pace with rapid advancements in technology and service delivery," Tapia II said in a news release announcing the plan Wednesday. "We will meet those expectations by harnessing data, embracing innovation, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement."

Slayton noted in the news release, "As the largest unified trial court in the nation, we are uniquely positioned to redefine and transform how a court can serve its community by critically examining how we provide accessible justice."