Official Reports & Studies

Reports on Privacy, Access & Court Records

Finalized 2019

JMC Work Group on County Court Jurisdiction Report

The Report was accepted by the Florida Supreme Court in December 2019.

Finalized 2016

NCSC Florida Judicial Workload Assessment Final Report

The National Center for State Courts completed this 2016 Judicial Workload Assessment Report.

Finalized 2011

Task Force on Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Cases

See the Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation pages devoted to this subject.

Judicial Branch Governance Study Group

The National Center for State Courts completed this Governance Study Final Report.

Finalized 2010

View the 2010 Judicial Branch Governance Study Report from the National Center for State Courts.

Finalized 2009

• 2019 Report of the Commission on Character & Fitness proposes revisions to the procedures governing character & fitness determinations of people seeking to be licensed to practice law. Warning: This document is 14 megabytes and may not download easily.
  • A Short Version of the 2019 Commission on Character & Fitness Report is available that excludes the attachments and is accessible to persons with disabilities.
  • The Florida Board of Bar Examiners' Response

Report on Florida Board of Bar Examiners Testing

• Report if the FBBE's Commission on Testing
• The Florida Board of Bar Examiners' Response

Finalized 2008

• 2008 Report on Pro Bono Services in Florida - Accepted by the Court in the fall of 2008. It examines the state of free legal advice given to the poor by Florida lawyers

2008 Report on Complex Litigation

• Task Force on the Management of Cases Involving Complex Litigation - Received by the Court in April 2008.

2008 Report on Access to Court Records

• Final Report & Recommendations of the Committee on Access to Court Records (Sept. 2, 2008)

Finalized 2006

Report of the Work Group on Standards for Jury Panel Sizes

The Final Report of this Work Group was submitted on March 10, 2006. Further information on Juries in Florida also is available.

2006 Report on District Court of Appeal Workload & Jurisdiction

On November 15, 2006, the Chief Justice received the Report of the Committee on District Court of Appeal Workload & Jurisdiction.

Finalized in 2005

2005 Report on District Court of Appeal Workload & Jurisdiction

On November 1, 2005, the Chief Justice received the Report of the Committee on District Court of Appeal Workload & Jurisdiction.

Report of the Committee on Privacy & Court Records

• Report of the Committee on Privacy & Court Records (Aug. 15, 2005)

Finalized in 2003

Report on Guardianship Monitoring

In May 2003, the Supreme Court Commission on Fairness issued its report titled Guardianship Monitoring in Florida: Fulfilling the Court's Duty to Protect Wards.

Jury Innovations Project Report

Read the Final Report of the Florida Supreme Court Jury Innovations Committee issued in May 2001 and a Press Release about its activities. The 2003 Administrative Order adopting portions of the Report is also available. 

Report on Public Records

• Final Report of the Study Committee on Public Records (Feb. 15, 2003)

Finalized in 2002

Report on the Use of Senior Judges

The Report of the Committee on the Appointment and Assignment of Senior Judges and its Transmittal Letter were submitted to the Court in late February 2002.

Report of the "Wells Commission" on Court Crisis Management

The Report of the commission was issued on March 28, 2002.

Finalized in 2001

Report of the Family Court Steering Committee

On May 3, 2001, the Court issued its Opinion based on the June 2000 report about a Model Family Court for Florida.Final Report of the Supreme Court Workload Study Commission

This Final Report completed the Study Commission's work from 2000 and concluded that Florida should not adopt the Texas model of having two separate Supreme Courts, one to address civil issues and one to address criminal issues.

Report on Privacy & Records

• Report on Privacy & Electronic Access to Court Records (Nov. 15, 2001)

Finalized in 2000

Report of the Supreme Court Workload Study Commission

A Report of the Florida Supreme Court Workload Study Commission was released on November 9, 2000. Read the Agenda for the first meeting of the Supreme Workload Study Commission on September 25, 2000, the Official Notice of the meeting, and the Membership List.

Ten-Year Retrospective on Racial & Ethnic Bias

In December 2000,  the Ten Year Retrospective on Racial & Ethnic Bias was released. This report surveyed work in eliminating racial and ethnic bias in the legal system that began with the release of the First Report of the Florida Supreme Court Racial and Ethnic Bias Study Commission in 1990, followed by the Commission’s second and final report in 1991.

Report on Per Curiam Affirmed Decisions

This Report on the use of per curiam affirmed decisions was issued by the Florida Judicial Management Council in May 2000.  A Court Opinion was issued in this matter on August 29, 2002.

Finalized in 1999

Report on Florida's Baker Act

The Florida Supreme Court Fairness Commission in December 1999 issued its Full Report, Executive Summary, and Press Release. after completing a study of the Florida Baker Act, which authorizes persons to be detained temporarily if they pose a risk of harm to themselves or others.

Report on Jury Service Accessibility

Read the June 1999 report on Jury Service Accessibility for Older Persons & Persons with Disabilities in Florida, a collaborative project of the Southeast Florida Center on Aging of Florida International University and the Florida Supreme Court Commission on Fairness.

Finalized in 1998

Report on Florida Supreme Court IT Management (Adkins Report)

This 1998 Publication is the final report of the Supreme Court Select consultant on internal information technology management at the Florida Supreme Court, including a staff response.

Finalized in 1997

Report on the Florida Board of Bar Examiners

This 1997 Publication is the final report of the Supreme Court Select Committee to Study the Florida Board of Bar Examiners.

Finalized in 1996

Report of the Gender Bias Study Implementation Commission

This 1996 Report details work to eliminate gender bias from the legal system since the 1990 Report of the Florida Supreme Court Gender Bias Study Commission.

Finalized in 1991

Report of the Racial & Ethnic Bias Study Commission

This Executive Summary describes formal reports made in 1990 and 1991 on racial and ethnic bias in Florida's legal system.

Finalized in 1990

Report of the Gender Bias Study Commission

This 1990 Executive Summary describes a study that explored the extent of gender bias in Florida's legal system and to suggest steps to eliminate bias.Finalized in 1989

Finalized 1989

Report on Mediation & Arbitration Rules

This 1989 Report dealt with proposals affecting the rules governing mediation and arbitration.

Finalized 1984

Article V Revisions Report

This Report examined proposed changes to the judicial article of the state Constitution.

Finalized 1979

Report on the Judiciary

This Report details problems that had arisen in the Supreme Court's jurisdiction and caseload by the late 1970s, which led to Constitutional reforms in 1980. Report of the Commission on Appellate Court Structure. This 1979 Report makes recommendations regarding reforms to the structure of Florida appellate courts.