The Delaware judiciary last week marked the first anniversary of a 10-year partnership with the University of Delaware that has so far saved the judicial branch 4,250 work hours, as it moves to streamline its operations.

The judiciary teamed up with the university's Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics last October in an effort to bring proven private-sector practices and technology to the courts. As a part of the agreement, faculty provided process improvement training to judiciary employees, and students engaged in projects designed to make operations in the courts more efficient.

The program's pioneers touted it as a “win-win” for both parties during a brief ceremony Nov. 19 in Alfred Lerner Hall, on the university's Newark, Delaware, campus.