Many who do not understand futures methodology question whether futures planning should be a priority for the judicial branch of government. Nonetheless, futures planning needs to be seen as a necessary first step in long-range strategic planning, and strategic planning must address the necessity of managing change. Critical components of strategic management for trial courts include creating a new vision of the fundamental responsibilities and purposes of trial courts, defining a strategic mission, establishing objectives and performance targets, and implementing and evaluating strategies to achieve objectives. Futures planning fulfills the first three of these critical components. The experiences of jurisdictions that have conducted futures planning indicate a number of positive characteristics for courts. Most importantly, futures planning gives courts a goal to strive toward in all planning phases. Futures planning activities also encourage communication between important actors and create openness to change. By including many people in the community, futures planning helps them realize that the judicial system is meaningful to them and requires their participation. Futures methodology, however, is not a panacea, and any jurisdiction considering futures planning should expect to encounter problems and frustrations. Guidelines to help courts undertake futures research deal with preproject planning, futures project structure, futures commission membership, topic selection, group process, staffing, and evaluation. 35 notes