––––––––––––––––––––
Subscribe to the Legal News!
https://legalnews.com/Home/Subscription
Full access to public notices, articles, columns, archives, statistics, calendar and more
Day Pass Only $4.95!
One-County $80/year
Three-County & Full Pass also available
- Posted July 22, 2013
- Tweet This | Share on Facebook
Surveys aimed at improving public's experience with courts
![](/Content/LegalNews/images/article_db_image1.jpg)
LANSING, MI, --"Finding the courthouse was easy." "The way the case was handled was fair." "As I leave the court, I understand what happened in my case." These are some of the items in a public satisfaction survey that Michigan trial courts will administer to improve public service.
The survey, which was tested last month in a pilot project, asks participants to share their experiences with access to the court and the fairness of court proceedings. The results will be used to help individual courts find and improve weak areas, such as long waits at customer service counters or a judge's need to explain rulings more clearly.
State Court Administrator Chad C. Schmucker said the surveys are part of a statewide initiative, "Courts working smarter for a better Michigan," which stresses measuring court performance to improve efficiency and public service.
"Can you measure the quality ofjustice? Maybe not, but we can and should measure how well the courts are serving the public, in part by asking the people who use the courts about their experiences," Schmucker said.
A video released today by the Supreme Court Office of Public Information explains how the survey results will be used. "The Measure of Service," part of the Office of Public Information's Court Stories series, features judges who have already tested the survey: Chief Judge Nanci J.
Grant, Oakland County Circuit Court; Chief Judge William G. Kelly, 62B District Court, Kentwood; and Chief Judge Sara J. Smolenski, 63rd District Court, Grand Rapids.
Courts will invite visitors to complete the survey before leaving; the surveys are anonymous. The form asks participants to respond "strongly agree," "agree," "neutral," "disagree," "strongly disagree," or "not applicable" to a series of 15 statements. The survey asks participants "What kind of case brought you to the courthouse today?" and "What did you do at court today?" with participants choosing from a list of responses. The survey also invites participants to add comments.
The State Court Administrative Office will analyze the data, which will be posted online beginning in May 2014.
The information will be used to help courts identify areas where they need to improve the public's experience, said Chief Justice Robert P. Young, Jr.
"The private sector has long used performance measurement, including customer satisfaction surveys, as a way to improve service," Young said. "Why should it be any different for the ourts, particularly when they have such an important impact on the public? We need to hear from the people who use the courts, and we should share the results with the public."
For more information about the customer satisfaction survey and the "Courts working smarter for a better Michigan" campaign, see http:// www. courts. mi.gov/ Administration/admin/op/performance/Pages/default.aspx.
Published: Mon, Jul 22, 2013
headlines Ingham County
- ABA report explores successes and legal hurdles for U.S. Latinos
- Environmental lawyer releases new novel, ‘People of the Dune’
- Attorney/health and wellness coach presents stress busters: Six ways to achieve work-life harmony
- Cooley Law School professors present at Legal Writing Institute’s 21st biennial conference
- Book tells plenty about a would-be VP and his motives
headlines National
- Judge accused in drive-by shootings has progressive brain disease, court filing says
- Despite lyrics mistake by AI, lawyer wasn’t ineffective for using tech in rapper’s case, federal judge says
- Former Littler lawyer drops California suit against firm, bringing end to departure dispute
- Last-minute election lawsuits may serve political goals, law prof says
- Criticizing plaintiff’s ‘chutzpah,’ federal judge holds lawyer jointly responsible for over $207K in legal fees
- Personal injury firm sues TD Bank after loss in fraud scheme