The State Justice Institute was established by Federal law in 1984 to award grants to improve the quality of justice in the State courts, facilitate better coordination and information sharing between State and Federal courts, and foster innovative, efficient solutions to common problems faced by all courts. Since becoming operational in 1987, SJI has awarded over $100 million to support more than 1000 projects benefitting the nation's judicial system and the public it serves.

The Institute is unique in both its mission and the way it seeks to fulfill its statutory duties. Only SJI has the authority to assist all State courts -- criminal, civil, juvenile, family, and appellate -- and the mandate to share the success of one State's innovations with every State and Federal court system. SJI carries out its unique mission by:

• Supporting national evaluations of promising State and local approaches;

• Serving as an information clearinghouse to assure that effective new judicial approaches can be quickly and economically shared with every State judiciary;

• Establishing national resource centers where State and local judges and court officials can test new technologies, observe new approaches, and sit in classroom settings to learn from each other;

• Convening national meetings to facilitate the national application of new solutions to the most difficult problems confronting the courts; and

• Delivering national State-to-State "technical assistance" targeted at a jurisdiction's specific problems.

SJI plays an important role in the national response to crime by educating judges about the nature and impact of family violence, drugs, rape, sexual assault, juvenile crime, and other crimes of violence; demonstrating the effectiveness of new trial and sentencing approaches; and collaborating with the Department of Justice and other Federal agencies on important efforts to improve the criminal justice system and enhance public protection.

SJI has been a leader in identifying new ways to reduce the time and cost of litigation; improving citizens' access to the courts; and applying new technology in the courtroom and the courthouse. The Institute has given high priority to civil justice projects that range from helping litigants without lawyers have their day in court to helping State and Federal judges resolve complex, multi-State mass tort litigation.

SJI is also unique in its structure: it is not a Federal agency but a non-profit corporation governed by an 11-member, uncompensated Board of Directors appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The Institute's enabling legislation assures that its leadership will be responsive to the needs of the State courts, and politically balanced. The President must appoint six state court judges and one State court administrator to the Board from a list of candidates nominated by the Conference of State Chief Justices. Of the remaining four "public" members of the Board, no more than two may be of the same political party.

For more information, please contact, Lisa Younger or view our phone directory.

State Justice Institute
1650 King Street, Suite 600
Alexandria, VA 22314
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