Lance Broberg to serve on the Maricopa County Superior Court’s Civil Department Task Force – Innovation Subcommittee

July 16, 2020

Lance Broberg, a Tiffany & Bosco Shareholder and trial attorney, was asked to serve on the Maricopa County Superior Court’s Civil Department Task Force – Innovation Subcommittee.  The 10-person Subcommittee is comprised of five judicial officers, four attorneys, and the Civil Court’s administrative officer.  The Subcommittee is tasked with exploring how the Court and parties to civil cases may use procedures and technology to resolve cases in a way that maintains access to the Court and promotes the right to a jury trial while facilitating alternatives to the currently unavailable jury trial.  Among other things, the Task Force developed a Certified Arbitrator Program as well as a Late Case Fair Limits Proceeding.  Both have now been implemented by Administrative Order.

As a member of the Task Force, Lance has worked with the Courts and technology providers to aid in the adoption of technology platforms, specifically video and audio functionality, to permit greater and more effective use of those platforms for all levels of hearings including, but not limited to evidentiary hearings and jury trials.  The new platforms should be available shortly and will permit additional and improved access to the Courts.

Further contributing the effort to re-open the Courts and promote access to justice, Lance served as Plaintiff’s counsel for one of the Nation’s first in-person mock jury trials conducted in Maricopa County.  Lance worked with judicial officers, attorneys, and multiple sociologists specializing in jury behavior.  The purpose of the trial was to test how an in-person jury trial might be conducted in the current and post-pandemic environment as well as to identify concerns or issues arising from the implementation of COVID-19 related precautions.  Lance is scheduled to conduct additional mock jury trials in both virtual and hybrid formats.

Sitting on the leading edge of how the Maricopa County Courts will operate going forward, Lance has served as a panelist on for numerous Continuing Legal Education seminars titled The Future of Civil Trials presented for the Maricopa County Bar Association, the Arizona Women Lawyers Association, and the Scottsdale Bar Association.

Maricopa County is fortunate that Judiciary is on the leading edge when it comes to both innovating and implementing new and alternative strategies to ensure our fundamental access to justice.  Lance has been honored to work with the other members of the Task Force and appreciates the opportunity to help the Courts in this new and ever-changing environment.