Sometimes Progress Starts with a Simple Email

When I was on the trial court, I asked the clerk of court to do one simple thing. I asked him to send an email to each party after their first filing, welcoming them to Division D. Thankfully, he agreed.

The email was nothing special. It included a short message from me, my chamber’s phone number, my staff’s names and numbers, a link to my online calendar so they could pick their own dates, and a link to my webpage with everything lawyers and litigants needed to know about how the division worked, including how to elect into my expedited docket and how to attend court virtually.

It did not cost a thing. It did not require a new system or a consultant. It just required the willingness to use what we already had.

The result was less frustration and more communication. Lawyers stopped calling to ask basic questions. Hearings were easier to set. And everyone, including self-represented parties, felt like they knew what to expect.

GenAI tools will help us do remarkable things, but they should not make us forget what matters most. Innovation is not just about technology. It is about people. It is about making the system more efficient, effective, and accessible.

Sometimes progress starts with something as simple as an email that says, “Welcome to Division D.”