The Indiana Supreme Court's Division of State Court Administration is working with the Indiana University Center for Urban Policy and Environment to study ways to make the state's trial courts more equitable and efficient.

The Center for Urban Policy and Environment will partner with Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis' Program on Law and State Government to analyze the state's current system and assess how other states manage and fund court operations, paying particular attention to governing, budgetary, and personnel issues.

The Division of State Court Administration plans to use the court system study to assess the viability of one of the many reforms called for in the report by the Indiana Commission on Local Government Reform. One recommendation was to shift Indiana's trial courts to a state funding model.

The center plans to present its findings next summer to the Division of State Court Administration, along with a series of options for coordinating and streamlining the courts.