How to incorporate racial equity throughout court operations
Developing a strategic plan that works to remove all barriers to access and fairness by being responsive to the state’s cultural, ethnic, socioeconomic, linguistic, physical, gender, sexual orientation, and age diversities, for all people that encounter the court system, is key. Below are steps that can help to guide this process in your court.
1 Incorporate racial equity into your court’s strategic plan
- Judicial Branch Strategic Plan
The Judicial Council of California provides leadership in the judicial branch by using a set of guiding principles, while working to improve the future of the judicial branch by overcoming common fundamental challenges. You can find best practices in Goal One: Access, Fairness, and Diversity of the plan to use as a guide for your own court.
- NCSC Racial Justice Assessment Tool
The Racial Justice Assessment Tool for Courts is designed as a comprehensive but flexible self-assessment to provide court leaders with relevant information on equity, diversity, and inclusion best practices that can be used to guide statewide or local system review and inform a strategic planning, action planning, or other court improvement process. The tool is designed to be completed anonymously.
2 Make an official statement of racial justice
In response to the rise in race-based violence, racial injustice, and inequalities across our nation, the California Supreme Court released an updated statement on Equality and Inclusion in 2021. Since then, local courts across the nation have also released their own statements. Some courts have even gone a step further to create task forces and committees to address racial injustice and inequity in their local community. These resources can serve as a guide or example for your local community and court as well.
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Supreme Court of California: News Release- Statement on Equality and Inclusion
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Los Angeles Superior Court: Denouncing Recent Race-Based Violence
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Sacramento Superior Court: News Release -Response to the racial injustice and inequalities across our nation - Community Engagement and Fairness Committee
3 Ensure the public knows how rules are created
Make information readily accessible to the public as to how rules are created and the process to provide feedback on pending rules in the court. This contributes to racial justice because of procedural fairness and transparency.
Judicial Council Invitation to Comment
Judicial Council Information Sheet- “How a Proposal Becomes a Rule”
4 Develop remote access opportunities
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, courts nationwide have developed and designed procedures that utilize new technology to increase remote access opportunities. Such actions increase the public's ability to participate in and access the court system.