Over the past two decades, the
legal community, researchers, and
the broader American public have
become increasingly interested in
the jury system. Studies show that
the rate of civil jury trials has
steadily declined in recent years,
eclipsed by non-trial dispositions
such as settlements and summary
judgments. Yet trial by jury con-
tinues to play a critical role in the
civil justice system in resolving
intractable disputes and in pro-
moting public trust and confi-
dence in the courts.
The findings in this issue come from the State-of-
the-States Survey of Jury Improvement Efforts,
a comprehensive study of jury operations and trial
procedures conducted by the NCSC Center for
Jury Studies. The State-of-the-States Survey com-
piled information from 1,396 state and local courts
representing approximately 70 percent of the U.S.
population. It also collected trial reports from
more than 5,800 civil jury trials from state and
federal courts in all 50 states, the District of
Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The full report of the
State-of-the-States Survey of Jury Improvement
Efforts is available at the NCSC Center for Jury
Studies website at http://www.ncsconline.org/
D_Research/cjs/state-survey.html.
Frequency of Civil Jury Trials
State courts conduct an estimated 46,200 civil
trials annually and federal courts conduct an
additional 2,100 civil jury trials. Combined, these
comprise slightly less than one-third (31%) of all
jury trials in U.S. courts each year. The number
of civil jury trials in state courts has declined in
recent years, albeit not as precipitously as that for
federal courts. In fact, this estimate of civil jury
trials in state courts is 40 percent higher than
previous NCSC estimates, which were based on
figures reported by state general jurisdiction
courts. Limited jurisdiction courts in 30 states have
the authority to conduct jury trials, and the State-
of-the-States Survey estimate includes these trials.
1
Civil Jury Trials in State
and Federal Courts
2
Voir Dire in