Bill Overview
Title: Open Courts Act of 2021
Description: This bill requires the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to establish a single electronic system for all public federal court records that is publicly accessible, free of charge, and does not require registration.
Sponsors: Sen. Portman, Rob [R-OH]
Target Audience
Population: People accessing public federal court records
Estimated Size: 10000000
- The Open Courts Act of 2021 pertains to federal court records in the United States.
- It involves creating an electronic system for accessing public federal court records.
- The bill mandates free and unregistered access to these records, influencing how people interact with the federal court system.
- Individuals who need access to court records for legal, journalistic, research, or academic purposes will be particularly impacted.
- The availability of federal court records free of charge and without registration could potentially impact anyone globally who has an interest in these records.
- Primary users of such court records are expected to be American citizens, legal professionals, journalists, researchers, and students.
Reasoning
- The majority of people leveraging federal court records will primarily encompass legal professionals, journalists, and researchers.
- While the primary impact might seem limited in direct reach, the removal of access fees broadens potential access across the board, enabling greater transparency and other derivative benefits.
- The budget constraints mean that while they can create the infrastructure, the maintenance might require future adjustments depending on usage rates.
- While the direct use pool might be fairly well defined, the ripple effects in terms of informational transparency, case study access, legal research, and derivative media products can impact a broader spectrum of citizens and global entities.
Simulated Interviews
Journalist (New York, NY)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy is a breakthrough for transparency.
- This act would significantly cut costs and streamline investigative reporting for journalists like me.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Legal professional (Washington D.C.)
Age: 32 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Our work can become much more efficient, reducing overhead costs in accessing vital records.
- The policy could help lower the barriers for legal aid by providing free access to crucial documents.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Law student (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 28 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Accessing federal court records for study might become easier and cost-effective.
- My peers and I would no longer need to rely on expensive subscriptions.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Retired (Chicago, IL)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I love learning about legal cases, but access has always been costly.
- Free availability will allow me to better educate myself.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Researcher (Austin, TX)
Age: 36 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Having free electronic access to court records will greatly enhance my research capabilities.
- This policy could allow a more comprehensive investigation of criminal justice trends.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Technologist (Seattle, WA)
Age: 41 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Ensures that legal data can be integrated into broader digital transparency and access initiatives.
- It aligns with my belief in open access to public records.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Civil Rights Lawyer (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 53 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Impactful for our practice as it enables greater access to crucial court records.
- This could increase my efficiency in tackling wrongful conviction cases.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Historian (Boston, MA)
Age: 40 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy enriches the resources available for understanding institutional shifts.
- My work as a historian will be significantly less restricted in terms of access to primary sources.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Paralegal (Miami, FL)
Age: 27 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- As a paralegal, easier access to records means enhanced productivity.
- It translates into faster document retrieval and more efficient case preparations.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 3 |
Software Developer (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 35 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Streamlined access means new opportunities to develop innovative legal tech applications.
- It's a win for tech devs interested in civic tech projects.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $100000000 (Low: $80000000, High: $120000000)
Year 2: $50000000 (Low: $40000000, High: $60000000)
Year 3: $30000000 (Low: $25000000, High: $35000000)
Year 5: $20000000 (Low: $15000000, High: $25000000)
Year 10: $10000000 (Low: $8000000, High: $12000000)
Year 100: $5000000 (Low: $4000000, High: $6000000)
Key Considerations
- Initial high costs of developing a unified electronic system, with costs decreasing substantially over time.
- Potential savings from reduced paper management and storage.
- The impact on the economic activities due to improved access to federal court records.
- Possibility of increased efficiency in judicial processes.
- The potential security and privacy concerns associated with digitalizing court records and making them publicly accessible.