Mission and Strategic Plan

Goal 1: Promote judicial readiness and leadership development:

• Designate Judicial Branch Champions to lead internal and external engagement around strategic priorities.
• Strengthen committee orientation to enhance member engagement and effectiveness.
• Foster professional development through mentoring of and integration for judicial officers and staff.
• Implement focused recruitment to secure quality candidates for judicial appointments, emphasizing the benefits of becoming a judge.

Goal 2: Improve intra-Branch communication:

• Improve communication between the Administrative Office of the Courts and the broader Judicial Branch to ensure successful implementation of Branch-wide projects.
• Enhance communication with the chancery court to support docket development, presence and support.
• Clarify roles and enhance collaboration with the elected Clerks of District Courts.
• Build frameworks for intra- and interconference communications.
• Foster meaningful, two-way communication between Judicial Branch Committees members, judges, stakeholder groups, and staff to improve awareness, collaboration, and feedback.

Goal 3: Foster a quality workplace:

• Support continuous learning and development for judges and staff.
• Create an employee onboarding program for the branch.
• Work with counties to implement security assessment recommendations where feasible and evaluate additional assessments in other locations.
• Develop and provide education and resources that support the well-being of judges and staff, including addressing secondary trauma experienced by judges, staff, and jurors.
• Explore the creation of a court services division within the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Goal 4: Promote secure, effective and innovative use of technology:

• Develop clear parameters and procedures for the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) to promote public trust and ensure appropriate application with the Branch.
• Implement appropriate technology and provide targeted technology training to help internal and external stakeholders confidently navigate systems.
• Maintain cybersecurity resilience through ongoing review of protocols.
• Optimize the functionality and management of the court’s automated systems.

Goal 1: Strengthen public confidence in the justice system by delivering fair, impartial, and continuously improving services that meet or exceed public expectations, while ensuring every individual is treated with dignity and respect:

• Ensure accuracy, transparency and accessibility of key trial court decisions, data and proceedings.
• Conduct public surveys to better assess perceptions of the Judicial Branch and identify opportunities to strengthen public confidence.
• Investigate options to enhance public participation and awareness of judicial performance.
• Enhance public awareness of the role of the Commission on Judicial Conduct and Ethics.
• Strengthen community outreach by creating programs, including youth-focused programs, that educate the public in understanding the Judicial Branch.

Goal 2: Develop a Branch-wide communication plan with specific goals:

• Increase public awareness by providing key appellate summary information through coordinated communication efforts.
• Utilize and expand existing informational resources, such as pamphlets on judicial appointment and retention, to enhance public understanding and engagement.
• Highlight Branch strengths, transparently acknowledge areas for improvement, and implement targeted action plans to address identified challenges.
• Collaborate with other branches of government, the bar association and private organizations to provide insight into the work and priorities of the Branch.

Goal 1: Build strong relationships with legislators to promote understanding of the financial needs and contributions of the Judicial Branch:

• Ensure cohesive and aligned messaging from court leadership on Judicial Branch budgetary needs.
• Develop informational materials to foster greater awareness of Judicial Branch functions among legislators.
• Provide education to legislative committees on the purposes of fees and the responsible use of those fees.
• Promote the concept that investment in technology is essential to maintaining accessible and reliable court services for the public.
• Maintain updated and accurate trial court data and statistical information to provide reliable information to the legislature highlighting the work of the trial courts.

Goal 2: Prioritize competitive pay for judges and Judicial Branch employees:

• Engage in proactive planning and communication to advocate for competitive compensation for judges and Judicial Branch staff.
• Maintain salary data for positions with comparable qualifications and responsibilities across state judiciaries, other state agencies, and relevant private sector roles.
• Collaborate with the Executive Branch to maintain a Judicial Branch employee classification system that supports the recruitment and retention of high-quality staff.

Goal 3: Explore and prioritize opportunities for external funding as it relates to Judicial Branch initiatives and priorities:

• Research funding opportunities to conduct a statewide civil legal needs assessment.
• Partner with counties to pursue grant opportunities for improving court security and expanding treatment court programs.
• Pursue external funding opportunities that enable judges and staff to engage in educational and professional development opportunities.

Goal 1: Provide resources for self-represented :

• Identify appropriate locations and methods to expand the court navigator program.
• Facilitate coordination and alignment of strategic initiatives between Access to Justice (ATJ), Equal Justice Wyoming (EJW) and Equal Justice Wyoming Foundation (EJWF).
• Develop and maintain standardized, user-fillable forms, including the use of guided form completion technologies.
• Evaluate the successes and challenges of the diversion program using data-driven analysis, and identify opportunities to expand and improve the program through targeted methods and potential new locations.
• Enhance the consistency, effectiveness, and sustainability of treatment courts statewide by implementing a peer review and certification process, providing ongoing support, and using data to guide improvement.

Goal 2: Foster a knowledgeable and available legal workforce:

• Collaborate with the Wyoming State Bar and University of Wyoming to promote practical skills development and courtroom readiness for new and existing attorneys.
• Collaborate with legal organizations, law schools, and communities to promote and sustain legal practice in rural Wyoming.
• Strengthen relationships with local bar associations and promote activities and engagement.

Goal 3: Equip courts with resources to effectively manage and resolve cases:

• Continue to advance the use of retired judges and the chancery court judge as resources to help manage trial court caseloads effectively.
• Advocate for and support appropriate court staffing levels to meet the needs of litigants, subject to legislative approval.