§ 202.2 Terms and Parts of Court

Courts organize their schedules using something called "terms." A term is a four-week block of time when court is in session. Normally there are 13 terms in a year, but the Chief Administrator of the Courts can set up a different schedule if needed. That office also decides the exact start and end dates for each term.

Courts also get divided into "parts." A part is simply a specific section of the court where a judge or other court officer handles certain types of cases or business. For example, one part might handle motions while another handles trials. The Chief Administrator of the Courts decides how many parts exist and what each one does.

For someone involved in a case, this means your case will be assigned to a specific part of the court, and that part will handle your matter during a particular term. Knowing which part and term applies to your case can help you understand when and where your hearings or other court business will take place.