
Summer 2006
FROM CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE
JONATHAN LIPPMAN
A Year in the National Arena As COSCA’s 51st President
The Conference of State Court Administrators
(COSCA) provides a national forum to exchange
ideas and develop policies and standards relating to
the improvement of the administration of justice. Its
members are the court administrators of each state,
the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American
Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and the
Virgin Islands. COSCA works closely with the Conference
of Chief Justices (CCJ) and the National
Center for State Courts (NCSC) to promote public
confidence in the courts, ensure access to justice and
foster awareness of the judiciary as a coequal and
accountable branch of government.
As this Benchmarks issue goes to print, my term
as president of COSCA comes to a close. It’s
been an exciting and challenging year. Among
many opportunities to participate in events
designed to facilitate state court administration,
I want to share with you some of the most memorable
moments and accomplishments.
In October, I co-hosted with the CCJ president,
Indiana’s Chief Justice Randall Shepard, the first
meeting of COSCA and CCJ with the Congressional
Caucus on the Judicial Branch to discuss
issues of common concern, including court security
and state court access to federal funding
streams. At a January meeting with U.S. Attorney
General Alberto Gonzalez, I represented COSCA
in a discussion of issues of importance to state
courts. In May, I took part in a congressional
roundtable cosponsored by COSCA — The Role
of Courts in the Lives of Foster Youth — at the
Capitol in Washington, D.C., a bipartisan discussion
of legislative and judicial branch leadership
efforts to reform the child welfare system. I also
met this year with representatives of the Association
of Canadian Court Administrators to discuss
a possible joint meeting, another first for COSCA.

From left to right: Judge Lippman,
United States Chief
Justice John G.
Roberts, Jr., and New
York State Chief
Judge Judith S. Kaye
at the presentation
of the 2005 NCSC
William H. Rehnquist
Award for Excellence
by Chief Justice
Roberts to Judge
Louraine C. Arkfeld
of Arizona. Photo courtesy of The National Center For State Courts.
Throughout the year, COSCA’s work demonstrated
its commitment to a proactive agenda.
Most notably, it has strengthened its role in the
planning and implementation of federal policies
and procedures affecting the administration
of justice in the state courts. COSCA
advocated for amendments to the Secure Access
to Justice and Court Protection Act of 2005 in
the House of Representatives (HR 1751), to
permit local and state
courts to apply for
federal law enforcement
grants and other
federal assistance,
and proposed that
court interpreter legislation be introduced and
incorporated in the Senate version of the Comprehensive
Immigration Reform Act (S 2611).
In addition, COSCA worked this year on
improving court practices in juvenile delinquency
cases; affirmed its commitment to the
Elder Abuse and the Courts Working Group;
and opposed a measure to restrict the ability of
states to use federal child-support incentive payments
for child-support program expenditures
that are eligible for federal matching payments.
COSCA also cosponsored two national summits,
one on problem-solving courts and another
on justice for children.
This year’s COSCA white papers continue a tradition
of excellence. In December, we adopted a
white paper entitled “The Emergence of E-Everything,”
which examined policy and logistical
issues surrounding the electronic access revolution
in the state courts, and established a national
action plan to support implementation of the
paper’s recommendations. In April, COSCA was
awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s
Office on Violence Against Women to help
implement the recommendations of an earlier
white paper on domestic violence. At our August
annual meeting, a white paper on emergency preparedness
in state courts will be presented. (Once
adopted, COSCA white papers are available online
at http://cosca.ncsc.dni.us.)
As I began my term last August, COSCA celebrated
its 50th anniversary as a national forum
for justice reform. It has been a privilege to lead
the organization at this particular time in its
history. And I have been especially proud to represent
you and the New York State courts — it is
your commitment to the highest standards of
excellence and willingness to try innovative
approaches that make the New York courts a
leader on the national stage.
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