Rule as Amended - 20060059

N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin. R.

POLICY 508. COMMITTEE ON TRIAL COURT LEGAL RESEARCH ASSISTANCE

A trial court legal research assistance committee is created under the auspices of the Administrative Council.

Purpose

The purpose of the Committee will be to provide technical assistance and management assistance to trial courts of the state. These activities shall include the following:

1. development of minimum requirements for trial court law libraries;

2. provision of technical assistance to individual judges and judicial districts to assess the most cost effective and convenient legal research tools for district judges, judicial referees, and law clerks;

3. continually test strategies for increasing the use of technology for providing efficient, comprehensive research tools for the trial courts;

4. to provide a cost effective process for bidding for group purchases of legal research resources for the trial courts through the state law librarian;

5. to address other issues affecting the administration of programs to support research tools and aids for the trial courts, as appropriate.

Committee Membership

The chair and committee shall consist of members appointed by the chief justice for three years following initial staggered terms to be determined, the initial terms to be selected by ballot of one, two, and three years equally disbursed between the members.

All members shall serve for a period of three years and be eligible for reappointment by the chief justice. A member may not serve more than three consecutive terms. A former member who served three consecutive terms is eligible for reappointment after a six-year break in service. The committee shall consist of four district judges, the state court administrator or his designee, one judicial referee, and one person representing trial court administration.

Staff Support

The state law librarian shall provide primary staff to the committee. Technology support will be provided by the director of technology.

Approved by Council of Presiding Judges 06/08/99; Amended by Administrative Council 3/14/05; Amended effective April 1, 2006 (Supreme Court No. 20060059).