This Policy Spotlight was created through a partnership with the National Center for State Courts. The authors examine the ways COVID-19 mitigation policies affected state courts during the pandemic and highlight areas where changes intended to keep courts functioning led to uneven access. The report draws its findings from surveys and focus groups that included litigants, lawyers, judges and court personnel. It is the first in a series from IGPA that will explore how COVID-19 affected access to justice during the pandemic, and it comes as Illinois and other states evaluate the impact of the pandemic and consider how court proceedings may operate in the future.
Assessing whether and under what circumstances to conduct court proceedings online after the pandemic is over will require careful consideration of benefits and downsides and balancing some competing factors.