The result is that frustrated litigants may accept a settlement rather than wait for an open courtroom. In addition, litigants may lose faith in the public justice system's ability to resolve their disputes. The statutory priority accorded criminal defendants in scheduling trials, combined with burgeoning criminal caseloads, will mean continued long delays for civil litigants if something is not done. Judges and administrators in the Los Angeles Superior Court recognize the civil case delay problem and have attempted to speed up case disposition. This study of the delay problem in Los Angeles identifies three primary causes of delay: (1) the demand for judicial services exceeds the supply; (2) court procedures and case management need improvement; and (3) some litigants or their lawyers may be delaying the progress of cases intentionally. Two basic steps to reduce civil delay are to increase court resources to correct the imbalance between court service demand and supply and to manage existing resources more effectively. Specific measures to accomplish these steps are detailed. 87 references, 7 tables, and 11 figures