Throughout November, Nebraska state trial courts ask court customers and visitors to participate in a survey which is found either online or in the courthouse.

The survey, designed by the National Center for State Courts, asks about individual experiences while in courthouses across the state. It is designed to measure opinions on the courts’ accessibility and fairness from the perspective of all court users (including litigants, witnesses, jurors, attorneys, court observers, and those who come to the courthouse to file or request documents or to make a payment). The survey is available in English and Spanish.

The survey is standardized and has been used successfully by courts in several other states to identify court processes and services that can be improved and measure the impact of improvements once implemented.

Nebraska’s trial judges and court staff work hard every day to ensure that all court users can efficiently conduct their business, resolve their disputes fairly, and are treated with courtesy and respect. The results of this survey will help evaluate the extent to which the court user experience in Nebraska varies by geography, race, gender, language, and type of court case.

Nebraska’s Access to Justice Commission will use survey findings to help identify and prioritize recommendations to improve equal access to swift, fair justice in all Nebraska state courts under Chief Justice Heavican’s ‘Equity Statement’ issued June 11, 2020.

In his June statement, the Chief Justice noted, “Racial injustice, implicit bias, and equal access to justice are complex issues but, nonetheless, issues that must be addressed.” He continued, “All Nebraskans must have equal access to justice in our courts, and there is no place in our court system for historic racial discrimination or inequity.”

(Journalists, read full statement: Chief Justice Michael G. Heavican Equity Statement to Nebraska’s Court Family and Legal Community)

Contact:

Corey R. Steel, Nebraska State Court Administrator, 402-471-3730