JCalendar 2008 Overview

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JCalendar - The Comprehensive Judicial Web Portal

We believe that for a web portal to be effective, it must draw its users, for purposes of collecting data, to its interface on a consistent basis. With this in mind, we believe that JCalendar is the prime hub of that portal. It provides the necessary functionality to facilitate the daily needs of collaborative scheduling, for all stakeholders of the Judiciary. Scheduling is the one function that all stakeholders must perform on almost a daily basis.

JCalendar is an interactive web and LAN based workflow management tool, developed by Softworks Solutions, Inc. It was produced in response to this growing need, which is in high demand and small supply across the Judicial system, throughout the United States. This .Net application provides the ability to connect the many facets of the judiciary through administering of schedules and other information, on behalf of internal resources such as Judges and Magistrates. It then provides attorneys and other authorized stakeholders interactive access to the Judicial calendars, data, and other resources associated with the Court. JCalendar provides the Court with the integrated tools needed to quickly retrieve, create, and respond to scheduling needs, while then managing the workflow of the courtroom. This system provides the capability for stakeholders to schedule hearings and appointments, file electronic documents, book independent services such as court reporters, interpreters, mediators, medical services and other external services required by the Court. JCalendar enables the Court to extend a robust, comprehensive portal to the legal community and all other authorized stakeholders.

Integration
We believe that to create an effective and successful enterprise solution, you must leverage existing technologies where applicable and practical. Our product line is built on the Microsoft .NET framework and utilizes industry standard technologies throughout its business layers. JCalendar is a full featured workflow management system, with scheduling at its core. It connects many existing technologies, through its SOAP based web services, giving the Court a seamless interface to all of its existing and future technology needs. Softworks’ primary function is to integrate viable, existing technologies into its workflow portal. Technical Specifications The JCalendar product line is built on the Microsoft.Net framework and utilizes a Microsoft SQL 2000/2005 database. Softworks designed the solution to also accommodate other OLEDB compliant data-sources, such as Oracle and Sybase. The optimum implementation of the system requires a database server (or cluster, depending on the size of the enterprise) as well as a separate web server (or farm). The database and web servers reside in a secure, Court controlled, LAN environment, with redundant external servers to accommodate load-balancing and fail-over and are hosted in remote locations.
Once JCalendar is installed and remote calendaring is initiated, the Court can expect a 50% to 60% reduction in phone calls to the Judge's Assistant. When there is a technical question, regarding JCalendar, Court users can call the Softworks helpdesk and they are immediately walked through the issue so the Court is free from establishing a support staff and is able to focus on their primary role of administering justice. This innovative solution is a web-based judicial workflow management system that connects the various stakeholders in the legal community through one integrated internet application. JCalendar provides the courthouse with the ability to administer schedules for both internal resources (such as judges, magistrates etc.) while opening their schedules to registered users (such as attorneys) via the internet. This technology connects various users from attorneys, court reporting firms, audio visual support companies, court interpreters, mediators and the court. It gives everyone in the judicial system process the freedom to schedule at anytime, based on their specific needs and requirements. Originally created as a scheduling tool for the judicial system, JCalendar is built around the needs of the Judge and the Judges Assistant; offering unparalleled access to case information and simplifying the scheduling process.
Now expanded to offer multiple services to users including: digital court reporting integration with remote access to the audio record and online transcription ordering, JCourier™ services for e-filing with secure electronic delivery of documents, and full scheduling services for attorneys, court reporters, mediators, audio visual service companies, facilities and process servers. JCalendar enables attorneys to have the ability to schedule not only with the Court but also all legal related services. Attorneys can schedule court reporters, audio visual services, mediators, and other legal services online. This one stop location for all legal needs encourages the use of electronic calendaring for the Court. This unified approach reduces the cost to the court by reducing phone calls and it moves the burden of data entry from the court to the law firm. Detailed Scheduling Information Judges and JA’s are able to schedule in JCalendar through easy to use interfaces that are custom designed for the judicial workflow. Detailed data about each resource’s schedule is stored based on that resource. An administrator is able to create a resource, create a schedule for that resource, and then create rules pertaining to that schedule created. For instance, a judicial assistant needs to create a schedule for a judge. In the JCalendar system, the JA would create a resource and after creating the resource, the system will automatically create a generic schedule for that judge or courtroom. The JA then has the ability to go into the administration functions and modify the general schedule for the judge to specify the actual days and times that are available for scheduling. These rules are immediately applied to the external schedule that the attorneys on the internet site will see.
External Internet Use Once registered on JCalendar, authenticated users (attorneys and their legal assistants for example) log onto JCalendar to schedule events including motions, hearings, depositions or other events for a specific resource (i.e. Judge) based on that resource’s defined schedule. Resources include judges, court reporters, interpreters, audio visual services, process servers and attorneys. The user will select a day on the calendar shown on the screen and select an available timeslot on that day’s schedule. After an appointment is made on the schedule, a confirmation e-mail is sent to the person requesting the appointment and e-mail notifications are sent to the parties involved.


Court Reporter and Service Provider Access As the court reporters record a case and transcribe it, they can upload that electronic transcript through JCalendar. It can be in PDF, DOC, WPD. The Support service also can submit the digitally recorded audio file, to be accessed by authorized users of the Court. E-mail Notifications With each scheduled event or JCourier® document, JCalendar automatically notifies the user and all participants in the case via e-mail. If there is an update to the case file the participating users receive automatic notification that there has been a change. If it is a new event or new JCourier® document, participants of the case receive details of the event or a copy of the document. Electronic Filing Functionality with JCourier Included in JCalendar is a complete customizable E-Filing module that can be utilized as an integrated E-Filing engine with existing case management and document management systems. Electronic Filing Process When a user (attorney, JA, case manager or clerk) needs to open a new case and file documents associated to the case, the user would select the open case icon. The user is then prompted to enter required case information and submit the request. The clerk then establishes the case number through integration with existing systems or through manual input. Once established the user is notified of the ability to schedule and E-File for the particular case. When E-Filing is integrated into the scheduling process documents are attached to the particular hearing or case event. When the attorney, JA or other authorized user schedules an event they are prompted attach associated media to the case file. The media is searchable by case number, filing attorney, confirmation number, filing date, judge or type of motion. Clerk Review and Acceptance As part of the workflow some court systems require the clerk to accept the file. JCalendar has a built in process that requires the clerk to review and accept the file. The document is tracked as to who has viewed it and the clerk has the ability to make notes on the document or deny the document due to quality of the file. Once accepted all stakeholders are notified via email of the filing. E-Mail Notification When a document is filed through JCalendar, all parties on the case are notified and provided with an attachment of the document. Order Posting and Distribution When a judge posts an order on JCalendar all stakeholders are notified. This can include release orders, warrants, foreclosure notices, dismissal notices, etc.