Overview
Problem
The legal system is a maze for defendants
Defendants lack basic case information
of court systems don’t remind defendants of court dates.
of courts that send reminders do so via mail or phone call, not via text message.
Court-appointed attorneys act as guides but are overworked
of court-appointed attorneys have unsustainable caseloads.
avg. time court appointed attorneys are able to spend per misdemeanor case.
Defendants miss court dates and misunderstand terms, leading to lifelong consequences
of states can add charges when defendants miss court hearings.
Hypothesis
Informed defendants will navigate the system more effectively
Qualitative research has demonstrated that defendants are more likely to appear in court when they have higher trust and perceptions of procedural justice and know what to expect.
KPIs
Ideation
Method: what’s the best way to deliver information to defendants?
Ensure people can access the information quickly with minimal context or platform switching.
Minimize implementation and maintenance costs. The goal of the MVP is to test the hypothesis and learn from users behavior.
Easy to adjust content and presentation to align with user’s needs.
1. Text notification with web app
Requires the defendant to switch platforms. Maintaining 2 separate systems of record adds unnecessary complexity. The cost of creating and maintaining content on a UI outweighs the benefits (for now).
The defendant is notified of case updates via text and can learn about the event details and other relevant topics on a separate webpage (sent as a link).
2. Mobile app with native notifications
Once downloaded, the ease of access of a mobile app is a plus—however, the initial act of downloading leads to a significant drop-off. The cost of developing and maintaining a mobile app is significantly higher than that of a web app. Installing updates for new content or functionality is an additional headache for users.
A defendant downloads a native mobile app where they can manage their court case and learn about the legal process.
3. Texting service (SMS)
Defendants use a platform they are familiar with and don’t have to download an app or navigate to a website, reducing friction. 97% of Americans with mobile phones use texting at least once a day, and text messages have a 98% open rate. Existing infrastructure for texting campaigns is well established and has low transaction costs. The content and delivery of messages can be adjusted with ease.
A defendant is notified of case updates via text. They can learn about related topics by responding to structured prompts (ex reply “1” to learn about motions).
Solution
A texting service that informs defendants of upcoming case actions and helps them navigate the legal process.
Get important case updates sent right to your phone.
Dates and times of court hearings are sent using a recognizable date format. This reduces 🧠 Cognitive Load by allowing users to add events to their calendar in just a few taps.
Defendants are reminded a week, 3 days, and 1 day before court dates, using the 👉Nudge principle to encourage users to prepare for and attend court dates.
Get quick answers to questions about your case from legal professionals.
We’ll use these questions to identify gaps in understanding and inform future iterations.
Defendants have varying degrees of experience navigating the legal system. Flexible interactions provide users with information at the right level of depth. This avoids the 🌩️ Curse of Knowledge, which assumes all users have the same level of understanding.
Court-appointed attorneys, overwhelmed with other cases, often take weeks to respond to a defendant’s questions. Our team is primed to respond to all questions within 2 days. This reliability builds trust with users.
Prepare for upcoming court dates and learn about relevant topics.
These structured prompts mimic navigation on an interface. Engagement with prompts informs future iterations.
Users choose what they want to learn about. These options are structured as open questions, using 💭 Curiosity Gaps to encourage engagement and retention.
Information is spaced to facilitate scanning. We use emojis as visual cues to separate and anchor each point. These are examples of 🍪 Chunking.
Results
Beta testing with 300 defendants
We received funding from the Cuyahoga County Office of Innovation & Performance to test this concept with defendants facing felony charges.
Randomized controlled trial
Defendants get important case notifications and reminders from CourtChat.
Sample size: 150
Defendants don’t receive messages from CourtChat.
Sample size: 150
KPIs
Number of responses to prompts and questions submitted.
Likert scale response (1-4) to the question: "How prepared did you feel for {court date} on {date}?" sent the day after each hearing.
Percentage of defendants who appear for court dates.