Research in this area should address such issues as the administrative role of the chief justice in relation to the whole court system, the relative effectiveness of various appellate procedures, small group decisionmaking in appellate courts, and the interactions between the trial and appellate court systems. Other areas worthy of study include bargaining and negotiation in appellate settlements, the consequences of alternate procedures for the parties involved, costs and benefits of court structural or procedural reforms, and the motivations underlying the actions of court actors (judges, lawyers, litigants). Addressing these issues will require a focus on both theory and description and an openness to experimentation and innovation in the courts. Additionally, it is important that such research have practical utility.