Indiana Supreme Court organizing single Office of Judicial Administration

The Indiana Supreme Court is improving its internal governance and creating a single Office of Judicial Administration. The internal restructuring plan creates a single administrative office with an administrative team including a Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and a Fiscal Officer (FO). Applications for both positions are due April 1, 2016 and are expected to be filled by summer.

Details for the two new positions are available online, briefly:

·         The CAO is responsible for the efficient administration of all agencies that operate under the direction of the Chief Justice and the Supreme Court. That includes 200 personnel; fiscal management; communication; technology; legal services; intergovernmental relations; services for the trial courts; and support for court boards, commissions, and committees.

·         The FO will supervise and manage the Court’s fiscal staff; direct and manage the preparation budgets; and manage payment claims for judicial funds.

The Court asked the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) to evaluate its procedures and structure. After interviews with judges and court staff, comparisons to other states, and document review, the NCSC provided the Court with recommendations. The result is a plan with a single administrative office and enhanced communication, clarification of staff responsibilities, documentation of institutional knowledge, and a plan for the succession of key personnel.

Longtime Division of State Court Administration Executive Director Lilly Judson is the Interim CAO. She intends to retire after facilitating a smooth transition to a new CAO. A national search is underway for the new positions and the full transition to an Office of Judicial Administration is expected to take a year.