Problem-Solving Justice

Overview

Thousands of problem-solving courts are testing new approaches to difficult cases where social, human and legal problems intersect. In recent years, many in the field have sought to "go to scale" with problem-solving justice, testing key problem-solving principles outside of the specialized court context. The Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice funded ten demonstration projects around the U.S. in support of this effort.

To get help planning, implementing, or evaluating a problem-solving initiative, click here.

Roundtable

Statewide Coordination of Problem-Solving Courts

The Center for Court Innovation and the Bureau of Justice Assistance held a roundtable on statewide management of problem-solving courts. The roundtable featured judges, policymakers, and court administrators from a variety of states across the U.S.

Principles of Problem-Solving Justice

By Robert V. Wolf

An examination of the six principles that animate problem-solving justice based on an analysis of problem-solving projects from across the country, and feedback from leading practitioners.

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Douglas Van Dyk, Judge, Clackamas County Community Court

Judge Douglas Van Dyk is a Circuit Court Judge in Clackamas County, Oregon, and presides over the Overland Park Community Court, one of 10 sites to receive a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice under its Community-Based Problem-Solving Criminal Justice Initiative. Here he speaks about the court and how it works.

Law School Courses in Problem-Solving Justice and Related Topics

As problem-solving innovation becomes more integrated into the way courts do business, law schools are beginning to offer courses examining problem-solving principles and practices. The Conference of Chief Justices and the Conference of State Court Administrators, among others, have urged law schools to include the principles and methods of problem-solving courts in their curricula. In a parallel development, Harvard Law School recently reformed its first-year curriculum to include a new course, “Problems and Theories,” that will focus on teaching students basic problem-solving skills. This article seeks to provide a short overview of current law school classes that touch on topics of problem-solving justice.

Most Popular Research

What Makes A Court Problem-Solving: Universal Performance Indicators for Problem-Solving Justice

By Adam Mansky, Rachel Porter and Michael Rempel

This report establishes a set of universal performance indicators against which to judge the success of specialized problem-solving courts.

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Testing New Ideas: Evidence, Innovation and Community Courts

This film produced by the Center for Court Innovation and the Bureau of Justice Assistance tells the story of community courts, which have been developing creative responses to crime since the first community court was founded in Manhattan in 1993. The film includes footage from the Midtown Community Court, the South Dallas Community Court, Newark Community Solutions, and interviews with judges, lawyers, police officers and others from across the United States.

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Watch the Spanish Version