As the COVID-19 pandemic swept the United States, no business sector was immune from its shuttering impact, including the judiciary. Many courts were forced to declare judicial emergencies, which caused courthouses to close and court cases to stop in their tracks. Particularly in civil cases, absent a bona fide emergency, many routine litigation events, especially in-court appearances, were shelved indefinitely.

As the shutdown persisted, the judiciary realized that having cases sit in neutral for a prolonged period of time would create significant substantive and logistical challenges later. Admirably, although the law is often thought of as a sector trailing technology, the bench quickly began utilizing video and telephone conference tools to allow cases to move forward.