Innovations in the California Courts

Kleps Award Program

History and FAQs

Created in 1991 in honor of Ralph N. Kleps, the first Administrative Director of the Courts in California, the Ralph N. Kleps Award for Improvement in the Administration of the Courts recognize and celebrate the contributions made by individual courts to the administration of justice. The awards are given in three categories, according to the number of authorized judicial positions in each group. A fourth category comprises appellate courts, and a fifth consists of projects in which two or more courts collaborate.

Programs nominated for the awards are judged and scored on six criteria. Programs must:

• Be a project of a California court;
• Reflect the intent of at least one of the six goals of the Judicial Council's strategic plan;
• Be innovative. "Innovative" is defined as creating or significantly enhancing a concept, goal, and/or objective that improves the performance and practices of the court relative to its size, community, and available resources;
• Have results, outcomes, or benefits that demonstrate the programs' impact on the courts and the public; and
• Be replicable in other courts.

Kleps Award Nomination FAQs (PDF, 237 KB)

Fact Sheet: Ralph N. Kleps Award (PDF)

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