“The pandemic was not the disruption courts wanted, but it is the disruption the courts needed.”      –National Conference of Chief Justices and State Court Administrators

The outbreak of COVID-19  forced all of us to change our habits, the legal community included. In order to administer justice and advocate for clients remotely, Zoom court hearings and electronic court filings were allowed during the public health emergency. 

Once in place the legal community quickly realized the benefits of these digital tools. The costs of coming to court, i.e., transportation, childcare, lost wages and travel time were no longer a burden to clients. Attorneys benefitted from reduced travel time and long waits in court. Judges saw increased participation and were able to efficiently move through their dockets. The proven success of these digital tools makes them poised to be permanent fixtures of the legal system and this will be another step forward in modernizing our civil courts.