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How Was the ECR Program Implemented?

How Was the ECR Program Implemented?

In early 1995, a group of King County judges, attorneys, and clerks gathered to consider the question: How can we best facilitate justice? Their conclusion was that facilitating justice meant providing easier and more reliable access to court records. files Their visionary work laid the foundation for the ECR Program. This vision, united with the knowledge that limited space and staff would soon no longer meet the needs of ever-increasing paper filings, provided the impetus for the King County Superior Court's Electronic Court Records Program.

The ECR Program involved technological innovation, procedural and cultural shifts, and communication with multiple stakeholders.  All of these efforts took place over more than a decade.  The work was guided by a Master Plan, and was implemented in phases.  The Master Plan provided guidance and prevented scope creep.  The phasing of the project provided the Clerk's Office with the best opportunities to capitalize on lessons learned as well as to see the benefits of return on investment throughout the development of the program.

In 2007, the Clerk's Office won a prestigious Innovations in Government Award from Harvard’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. Part of the award went to creating this video, which shares the story of King County's ECR Program.

 

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