The Aftermath: Court Administration and Practice Issues

Court systems must take action in the face of natural or man-made disasters. The actions needed can include: relocating courts to temporary quarters, suspending state statutes of limitation, extending motion filing and response deadlines, expediting court procedures, recreating or restoring documents, and developing systems of contacting employees, jurors, litigants and attorneys. This panel will discuss the steps that court leaders have taken when faced with a disaster.

Getting the Word Out: Communication, Coordination, Collaboration

In responding to a disaster, court policymakers must decide what message to send, to whom and how to send it. Court administrators and public information officers will address policy and practical issues surrounding internal and external communications during and following a disaster, including communicating with: court personnel; court users (e.g., the bar, jurors, and litigants); other government agencies; and, the public.

The Bar Response: Legal Assistance for Victims and Families

Large scale disasters may create a large demand for legal services among victims and their families. Members of state, national and specialty bars will discuss how to devise a disaster relief program and how to mobilize a pro bono effort in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. Their discussion will address the challenges of providing effective representation to meet the short and long-term legal needs of victims and their families and the special considerations that arise in mobilizing a pro bono effort to meet these needs

Safety and Security Policy Issues Facing Court Administrators

Disasters and potential threats challenge a court system’s ability to ensure a safe and secure court environment. During this plenary session, court administrators and public and private security experts will discuss the lessons learned from their experience with disasters and describe procedures for addressing potential threats. Panelists will describe the decisions that must be made in emergency situations and discuss who should be responsible for making those decisions. Other issues to be explored include: the importance of collaborating with public and private entities; budget and fiscal considerations and design and facilities planning issues; and the impact of increased security on court access, especially with respect to the public and the bar.

Safeguarding Court Records: Paper, Microfiche and Automated Data

Court systems must engage in substantial amounts of record keeping, including paper records, image based records (e.g., microfilm and fiche), and automated data records. This session will enumerate threats to key court system records and examine ways in which such records can be protected or, when necessary, recovered or restored.

Out of the Goodness of Our Hearts: Managing the 9-11 Charities

The legal and policy implications of the outpouring of charitable donations following September 11 exceeded all other similar efforts and are still unfolding. This panel will explore the New York experience and the experiences of other states in managing and coordinating the charitable response to disaster. Issues addressed will include: regulatory and enforcement issues; the challenges of defining the terms "disaster" and "victims"; and the role of government agencies in monitoring solicitation and distribution of gifts.

New Threats: Bioterrorism

Chemical and biological terrorism threaten our most valuable resource: our people. Scientific and legal experts will educate attendees on the nature and risk of these new threats. The panel will discuss the potential strategies for responding to and preventing chemical and biological attacks and the costs of implementing these strategies.

Emergency Preparedness Plans: An Overview of Policy and Practice Issues

Writing a preparedness plan requires courts to think in new directions and consider circumstances outside normal business operations. A panel of court administrators and private industry representatives will discuss how they developed their plans and what the plans include. These state and federal court administrators will discuss the policy implications and decision making process involved in creating and implementing a plan focusing on the collaborative effort needed between the courts administrators, and local, state, and national officials.

The Cost of Preparedness: Budget Issues and Funding Opportunities

This panel will explore public and private funding available for preparedness programs. The discussion will cover risk assessment and business continuity planning. Panelists will review the elements of a reasonable cost - benefit analysis of disaster preparedness plans and explore how the costs may be met.

New Threats: Cyberterrorism

With increasing dependence upon computers, computer networks and the Internet comes increasing vulnerability to this new threat. A panel of technical and legal experts will educate attendees on the nature, extent and potential costs of these new threats. The panel will discuss how to assess the risks and how best to prepare for and respond to cyber-attacks.

The Legal Aftermath: Terrorism Laws and Disaster - Related Litigation