| During
the 2000 legislative session, the General Assembly of Maryland created a
Maryland Business and Technology Court Task Force to consider the feasibility
of establishing a specialized court function within Maryland's Circuit Courts
to adjudicate business and technology disputes. A
Task Force Report was subsequently submitted to Maryland's Chief Judge
who then assigned responsibility for implementing the Report's recommendations
to the Conference of Circuit Judges. The Conference formed an Implementation
Committee comprised of one judge from each judicial circuit. Over 150
volunteers from the legal community assisted the Committee and participated
in working groups in the areas of Judicial Education; ADR Standards, Education,
Training and Compensation; the Use of Technology in the Program; Uniform
Statistical Data and Performance Standards, and Training for Clerks and
Administrators.
The Committee made detailed and comprehensive
recommendations in its Final Report and proposed New Rule 16-205 to establish
a business and technology case management program to enable each circuit
court to handle business and technology matters in a coordinated, efficient,
and responsive manner and to afford convenient access to lawyers and litigants
in business and technology matters.
Maryland's Business and Technology
Case Management Program, the First in the Nation, is
now operational.
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