2024 Year in Review: Judicial Council of California

In 2024, California’s Chief Justice, the Judicial Council, and the courts continued their efforts to improve court operations, enhance services, and expand access to the justice system for the public.

The following are highlights of those efforts:

Chief Justice Delivers 2024 State of the Judiciary Address
Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero delivered her annual State of the Judiciary address to the California Legislature. In her remarks, she emphasized her goals for the judicial branch, which include accountability in the use of public resources, efficient caseflow management, and safeguarding the integrity of the court and judicial decision-making.

She also affirmed the judicial branch’s commitment to enhancing access to justice for the people of California. Using technology as an example, she explained how the courts are helping to increase access through remote services and tools—including 24/7 e-filing, access to online records and research, self-help resources, and remote appearances.

A recent Judicial Council report showed that approximately 150,000 remote civil proceedings are conducted statewide each month; and more than 90% of court users and 98% of court staff reported positive experiences.
 

Online Tool to Request Reductions to Traffic Tickets Goes Statewide
The MyCitations online tool allows low-income individuals with infraction violations to request a reduction in their fines and fees without going to the courthouse. Users can also request a payment plan, more time to pay, or community service.

Launched in the first court in April 2019, the MyCitations tool was successfully implemented in all 58 counties before July 1, 2024. Since its launch, more than 183,000 litigants have submitted requests to reduce their fines, resulting in more than $65 million in reductions.

Adding to the MyCitations tool’s functionality, a new Online Trial by Declaration module allows a defendant to contest eligible traffic citations by submitting a written statement and uploading evidence online.
 

Filling the Justice Gap: Expanding Services for People Without Attorneys
The statewide Pathways to Justice conference brought together members of the legal community to highlight services and tools to help court users in civil cases who can’t afford attorneys. Cosponsored by the Judicial Council of California, the State Bar of California, and the Legal Aid Association of California, conference attendees included nonprofit legal services providers, private bar pro bono volunteers, and staff from court departments and self-help centers.

The conference highlighted a broad range of strategies used to expand access to the legal system, including technology, AI, childcare, pro bono work, lawyer referral services, and language access. It also offered training in areas like housing, family law, and domestic violence, in which parties are often without attorneys.
 

California Courts Launch CARE Act Statewide
This year all 58 trial courts in California began accepting petitions under the CARE Act, which authorizes specified people to petition a civil court to create a voluntary CARE agreement or a court-ordered CARE plan that can include treatment, housing support, and other services for persons with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders.

Per the CARE Act statute, implementation started in October 2023, with seven counties (Glenn, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Stanislaus, Tuolumne), and Los Angeles County followed two months later. The remaining 50 counties met the legislative deadline for accepting petitions by Dec. 2, 2024.

Since the CARE Act took effect, the council has supported the rollout by:

• Creating new court rules and forms, as well as fact sheets, webinars, and videos to educate courts and the public about the CARE Act process
   
• Meeting with courts and county stakeholders—including monthly office hours—to gauge progress, identify challenges, and provide technical assistance
   
• Helping translate court documents and videos into other languages, including Spanish, Khmer, Tagalog, and Farsi
   
• Collecting data on the program’s implementation, which it reports quarterly to the California Department of Health Care Services

Statewide CARE Act data has shown the number of petitions filed each month has been relatively steady since its launch in the early implementing counties—with a total of 869 petitions filed from Oct. 1, 2023, through Oct. 31, 2024. During that same time, courts ordered more than 175 care agreements and plans, and 516 petitions were still being actively engaged.
 

Pilot Program to Address Court Interpreters Shortage
A retiring workforce, geographic constraints, and testing capacity are making it difficult for courts to meet the demand for interpreting. To address the shortage of interpreters, the state’s judicial branch launched a five-year pilot program to hire more court interpreter employees, dedicating $6.8 million in funding made available from the 2023 Budget Act.

The Court Interpreter Workforce Pilot Program reimburses participants for costs associated with their training, coursework, and up to three examination fees. Program graduates must also agree to work for the courts for at least three years after passing all the required exams and enroll with the Judicial Council as a court interpreter.

Twenty superior courts are participating in the first cohort of the program and collectively received more than 1,000 applications. Each court may have up to 10 candidates per year. Applications for cohort 2 will open in spring 2025.
 

Courts Continue to Improve the Juror Experience
Recognizing the integral role jurors play in our justice system, following are some recent judicial branch initiatives to improve jury service in California:

• Pilot program in seven trial courts to improve juror diversity and participation by increasing juror pay from $15 a day to $100 per day and the mileage reimbursement from $0.34 to $0.67 per mile roundtrip—the pilot will end by early 2026 or when the funding is exhausted, whichever comes first
   
• Pilot project in Stanislaus County to test the feasibility of paying jurors electronically via Zelle to shorten the time for jurors to get paid at the conclusion of their service and reduce administrative costs for the court—the council’s Court Executives Advisory Committee will review the pilot findings and consider a statewide rollout
   
• Continuing to increase the use of telephone standby and on-call options for jury service, where individuals can check the night, and sometimes the week before, whether they will be asked to come to court in person
   
• Providing jurors brochures with mental health information and strategies to cope with any service-related stress they may experience

In addition, the council recently approved simplifying the language used for the oaths administered to jurors and prospective jurors to ensure they fully understand the oaths before voir dire and prior to being seated for a jury trial.
 

Thousands of Volunteers Advocate for Children in Court
The council approved $2.713 million in grants to help fund 45 CASA programs that help support children when they must move to new homes for their own protection. During this time of transition, judicial officers can appoint them a CASA (court appointed special advocate), a trained volunteer that advocates for children in juvenile court.

CASA volunteers spend time with the child, monitor their needs, and provide child-focused recommendations on services and education based on the best interests of the child. Unlike other mentoring programs, CASAs serve as an officer of the court, trained on topics such as the impact of trauma on children, cultural competency, and dependency laws.

More than 7,000 CASA volunteers serve approximately 11,000 children, donating 400,000 hours per year to help children, judges, and other professionals in the state’s juvenile courts. Despite this enormous impact, more CASAs are needed for the roughly 70,000 children in foster care.
 

25th Anniversary of Court Adoption and Permanency Month
More than two decades of collaborative efforts among the Judicial Council, the superior courts, and partners in child welfare has achieved positive progress in improving adoption and permanency in California. Comparing data from 1999 and 2023, the number of children entering foster care for the first time decreased by 51%, and the number of children living apart from their families decreased by 58%.

In addition, the council approved new court forms to simplify, clarify, and provide additional guidance for parents during the adoption process. The revised “How to Adopt a Child in California” form now clarifies the necessary steps to finalize distinct types of adoptions, including adoptions of children of Native American ancestry. The council also approved a new form specifically designed for stepparent adoptions. Court self-help center staff identified stepparent adoptions as the most common types for which they provide assistance and the ones having the most confusing processes for self-represented litigants.
 

New Courthouses Improve Safety, Service for Court Users
The judicial branch completed new courthouses in Menifee (Riverside County) and Redding (Shasta County). The new buildings address overcrowding, security, and accessibility issues, and help consolidate and improve court services for their communities.

Since assuming responsibility for court construction in 2002, the council has completed 35 new courthouses, and another 16 are underway in various stages. These include new court facilities in both large and small counties, as well as urban and rural areas across the state.

California Improving Courthouse Sustainability
Sustainability efforts employed at courthouses across the state continue to use green energy, reduce emissions, and improve waste management. The judicial branch has already achieved either gold or silver LEED certification by the U.S. Green Building Council for 21 courthouses across the state and has seven more certifications in progress. LEED certification is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance “green” buildings.

Those “green” strategies include water conservation, solar panels, EV (electric vehicle) charger stations, and setting sustainability standards for courthouse construction. The latest California Trial Court Facilities Standards approved in September of this year target a 12% increase in water conservation and a 15% increase in energy efficiency—or more if budgets allow—for future new courthouse projects. Additional long-term goals include electrifying heating systems and increasing the use of renewable energy.
 

Chief Justice Creates Task Force on Use of Generative AI in the California Courts
The judicial branch launched a new judicial branch task force to evaluate generative artificial intelligence (AI) for its potential benefits to courts and court users while mitigating risks to safeguard the public.

Earlier this year, Chief Justice Guerrero asked Justice Mary Greenwood and Judge Arturo Castro to help identify the foundational questions the California court system must consider regarding the appropriate uses of AI. In response to their report, Chief Justice Guerrero announced the following next steps for the judicial branch:

• Create an AI task force to oversee the consideration and development of branch actions that address generative AI, such as rules of court, technology policies, educational programs, and legislative proposals
   
• Work with Supreme Court ethics committees to develop guidance on how judicial officers should navigate ethical issues associated with generative AI
   
• Provide education for judicial officers, court professionals, and council staff that focuses on the uses, benefits, and risks of generative AI
   

Cybersecurity for the Courts
The judicial branch made strides in safeguarding the courts and their personnel against cyber threats. A key focus was education, highlighted by a series of interactive cybersecurity webinars that equipped judicial officers and judicial branch staff with critical knowledge to protect both institutional and personal digital assets. Topics included recognizing phishing attempts, securing devices, and mitigating risks.

To reinforce these efforts, the branch conducted phishing exercises throughout the year, enabling staff to practice identifying and responding to simulated threats in real time. These exercises not only improved awareness but also strengthened the branch's overall defense mechanisms against cyberattacks. Additionally, the courts bolstered cybersecurity by expanding endpoint protection, ensuring devices are better equipped to detect, prevent, and respond to threats.

Reduction to Court Budgets Impacts Service to the Public
In addition to a $97 million reduction to the trial courts, the fiscal year 2024-25 state budget also called for a commensurate reduction of 7.95% to the state-level judiciary, which includes the Supreme Court, Courts of Appeal, Habeas Corpus Resource Center, and the Judicial Council.

To help manage the reductions, many of the state's trial courts froze hiring, adopted furloughs, and reduced hours at their clerks’ offices and public counters. Despite the cutbacks, the courts are making every effort to minimize delays and preserve public access to justice. The Judicial Council also implemented proactive cost-saving measures, such as hiring freezes, reduced travel, and shifting meetings online.

Court leaders continued outreach to their local legislators to educate them on the work of the courts, and to communicate the operational impacts the budget cuts are having on court services to the public.
 

California Continues Work to Diversify the Bench
The council surveys California justices and judges at the end of each year to get a snapshot of the demographics of the California bench—including gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.

For the 18th straight year since tracking this data, the number of women and people of color on the bench has increased. Female judicial officers now constitute 41% of our judges. The number of Asian, Black, and Hispanic judges has doubled during that same time.

Supporting the goal of “Access, Fairness, Diversity, and Inclusion,” the council’s diversity initiatives also include the Judicial Mentor Program, a statewide undertaking between the executive and judicial branches to develop and recruit qualified and diverse judicial applicants for the state’s appellate and superior courts. The appellate and superior courts have also started their own local mentor programs.

The council also created an online toolkit called Pathways to Judicial Diversity. The toolkit has resources designed to help judges and courts reach out to diverse law students and attorneys and encourage them to pursue judicial careers.
 

Judicial Branch Continues to Expand Civic Learning
The Chief Justice's Power of Democracy Civic Learning Initiative continued to expand its reach into more California’s schools. The initiative’s Civic Learning Awards program encourages K-12 public schools to share how they promote opportunities for students inside the classroom and in their communities.

The program has presented the Civic Learning Award 540 times to 343 schools in the last decade—21 elementary, middle, and high schools across California were recognized in 2024. Schools at the highest level, Award of Excellence, traditionally receive a visit from California Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero, while judges from other courts present the awards of Distinction, Merit, and Honorable Mention. 

The initiative’s Judges in the Classroom program enables teachers to invite judges to visit their classrooms (either in-person or virtual) and engage their classes in lessons on the U.S. Constitution, Rule of Law, Voting Rights, or Historical Milestones in the making of our democracy. In 2024, the Judges in the Classroom program engaged 30% more courts and schools than it did last year. Currently, 353 volunteer judges representing 32 counties around the state support the initiative. Last school year alone, the program reached more than 13,000 students.
 

Judicial Branch Honors Individuals for Outstanding Service
The Judicial Council honored three recipients with its 2024 Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes people and organizations for their extraordinary leadership and contributions to the administration of justice in California.

This year’s recipients—Justice William W. Bedsworth, Judge Terry B. Friedman (Ret.), and Court Executive Officer Melissa Fowler-Bradley—were honored for their work related to advocating for civility within the legal profession, improving the court system for families and children, and leading court-based innovations to better serve the public. Watch these videos to learn about all of this year's award recipients.

Chief Justice Guerrero and the Judicial Council also honored the thousands of additional public servants of California's judicial branch the first week of May during Public Service Recognition Week. This video below, produced by the council, highlights six of California's dedicated public servants, who speak about why they choose to serve in the judicial branch.

Overview of Judicial Council Programs and Services
Under the leadership of the Chief Justice and in accordance with the California Constitution, the Judicial Council is responsible for ensuring the consistent, independent, impartial, and accessible administration of justice. The council carries out this mission through the work of its advisory bodies and staff that help develop and implement the policies and solutions to the issues confronting the California court system.

The council also provides direct programs and services in multiple areas to ensure the courts can maintain meaningful access to the justice system for the public. Examples of just some of those service areas include:

• Budget, accounting, procurement, and audits—including management, distribution, and reporting on billions of dollars in court funding each year
   
• Human resources—including HR and payroll administration for the nearly 3,000 state justices, judges, and appellate court and judicial branch employees
   
• Information technology—including oversight for the California Courts public website, which averages 75,000 visitors per month
   
• Education and training for judges and court staff—including more than 150 courses, webinars, videos, and podcasts per year
   
• Courthouse construction, management, and emergency planning and security—including management of approximately 450 court facilities encompassing more than 19.8 million square feet, and annually completing more than 1,700 facility modification projects and addressing roughly 115,000 building service work orders
   
• Legal services—including the annual development of hundreds of new and amended court rules and forms, and providing counsel on thousands of legal matters and agreements for the courts each year
   
• Legislative advocacy—including the annual tracking of nearly 1,000 bills and the submission of approximately 50 position letters
   
• Public affairs—including answering more than 2,000 inquiries for information from media and the public each year

More information on the Judicial Council

____________________________________________________________________

Stay connected in 2025 by subscribing to the California Courts Newsroom and Twitter/X feed. (See bottom of this page for links)