SCHEDULING FOR THE CONNECTED COURT

THE CONNECTED COURT: aiCALENDAR

Unprecedented times have forced courts to re-examine the value of the virtual courtroom and many courts are realizing that the virtual courtroom might just be a long-term solution for certain types of cases. But a connected court is more than just an online court session – it’s also about connecting the court calendar to those who need remote access. First and foremost, judges need an easy connection to their schedule using their smartphone or tablet. Certainly, attorneys and litigants need an easy connection to determine available hearings and to verify when their next court case is scheduled. As more and more courts adopt virtual court sessions, the court needs to connect the case parties with the correct virtual link to the session.  Achieving a unified court calendar that is easily accessible by all interested parties has proven to be challenging….

CALENDAR CHALLENGES

When considering calendars for the connected court, challenges are revealed:

  • Data Silos

    Calendar data is currently stuck in different places. The data is maintained by different applications originating in different calendaring sources.

  • Disconnected

    When you update data in one silo, the changes are not reflected in the other silos, creating the tedious process of duplicate data entry in the various systems.

  • No Sharing

    Courts are still finding it difficult to share the calendar outside the courtroom.

  • Paper Process

    Because of the huge disconnect between calendars, courts often are resorting to paper processes to communicate both inside and outside the courtroom.

  • Out of Date

    The net result is hard-copy calendars that are obsolete as soon as they are printed.

When considering calendars for the connected court, challenges are revealed:
aiCALENDAR aggregates multiple calendar sources into a shared collaboration platform

The aiCALENDAR Solution

aiCALENDAR aggregates multiple calendar sources into a shared collaboration platform supporting both in-person and virtual court hearings. It provides:

  • Access: Anytime, anywhere access to the case calendar from any mobile device (judges and participants alike)
  • Efficiency: Built-in efficiencies for the court and attorneys for collaboration, compliance and scheduling guidelines
  • Unity: An accurate, unified court calendar for everyone
  • Personalized Configurations: Judge-specific scheduling processes that cater to the needs of each individual judge
  • Tailored Docket Sheets: Judge-specific templates for capturing and communicating today’s docket
  • Simplification: Streamlined scheduling processes that reduce the workload burden on the court

For Judges

Many judges have seen the advantages of going paperless and having remote access, but some have worried that the system would impose cumbersome clicks and be too slow for use in the courtroom. aiCALENDAR provides at-a-glance details for all calendar events. Judges can establish up-front guidelines that standardize the information attorneys provide when scheduling. They have direct access to cases straight from their calendar. If they are conducting a virtual hearing, the judge can launch the web conferencing app straight from their calendar. They can easily customize the calendar to their preferences.

For Attorneys and Litigants

Now it’s easy for attorneys and case participants to stay connected and collaborate with the court calendar system. Without having to make a phone call, attorneys can view the docket, locate an available hearing date, determine the court’s guidelines for scheduling, collaborate with opposing counsel to schedule a hearing date. And best of all, it can all be done with a mobile device, such as a tablet or smart phone.

For IT Staff

aiCALENDAR can be easily configured for the judge’s and attorney’s user experience without help from IT staff. This puts the power in the hands of the knowledge worker who understands the judge’s preferences and keeps IT from being burdened.

Learn more about aiCALENDAR by Mentis Technology. Register to receive a recording of the Product Launch Event from Aug 26.