Los Angeles County Superior Court leaders announced a series of first steps Thursday designed to ease a backlog of civil cases that has grown over a year of pandemic-related restrictions. The proposal unveiled by Presiding Judge Eric Taylor relies on centralized case coordination and enticements to lawyers willing to forgo traditional aspects of jury trials in exchange for faster trial dates.

“I want to thank the civil bar and litigants for their patience as we implement our responsible resumption of civil jury trials in the wake of the winter COVID-19 surge and understanding the need to carefully regulate and prioritize which civil jury trials are ready to proceed,” Taylor said in a statement.