Online Research Increases Service
July 13, 2020 by Meredith Trimble
Jurisdictions experiencing solid growth enjoy vibrant, enterprising communities. They can also face challenges as service levels and quality must keep pace with the growth.
This is the case in Dallas County, Texas, the ninth largest county by population in the United States. Its size and growth are reflected in the county’s strategic goals, which seek to continuously leverage new technology for process improvements that can streamline business operations, result in cost savings, and increase productivity. In a growing county, these results aren’t just on a wish list; they are necessities.
Better Service, Increased Revenue
Particularly in the courts, increased population created a consistent increase in court filings. The county and district clerk needed a more efficient way for attorneys and the public to easily access information from the overwhelming collection of records.
Adding a software solution from the county’s current vendor helped Dallas meet these goals in a way that ensured seamless integration and a smooth deployment. When the county integrated its new re:SearchTX platform with its existing case management system, it gained increased transparency that offered up case information for more than 4,100 online users.
The State of Texas partnered with re:SearchTX to unite case records spanning across jurisdictions in all 254 counties into a single database. By integrating with the platform, Dallas expanded the types of records legal professionals can view to include orders signed by the judges and other court-issued documents.
In addition to the upgraded search functionality added through the integration, legal professionals and other interested parties can use the platform to enhance their researching tasks. From in-document text searching to custom case alerts, re:SearchTX offers advanced features designed to save users time, strengthen legal arguments, and help attorneys grow their businesses.
With court records now fully available online, users have moved out of the office for in-person requests and onto the web, freeing up office staff to spend time on non-administrative tasks. Additionally, the ease of access has empowered users to access thousands of documents online, and the dollars generated from the associated fees has helped improve the court’s bottom line.
Data Security
Increased access to cases across hundreds of courts necessitates thoughtful and robust security, which re:Search achieved through partnership with the Texas Office of Court Administration and the hundreds of court clerks from across the state. Additionally, working with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and using the AWS GovCloud (US) helps protect the integrity of sensitive court data while still ensuring appropriate access.
Dallas County’s online research integration with its case management system and the resulting successes earned it a 2020 Tyler Excellence Award.