A New York State Unified Court System report on its modernization efforts indicated that it plans to expand its virtual appearance platform to 500 courtrooms across the state by the end of 2026.
Launched as a pilot in March 2025, New York’s Virtual Court Appearance Platform (NY-VCAP) has handled over 850 appearances in its pilot phase in Surrogate’s Court, Court of Claims, and Supreme-Civil.
The report, authored by the Court Modernization Action Committee (CMAC), detailed the court system’s plan to develop its own virtual platform, which will allow a variety of court types to closely “mimic” the functions of a physical courtroom where lawyers and judges can virtually enter private “hallways” for settlements or to hold attorney-client conferences.
In the committee’s bid to expand usage of the new tech, it also identified concerns and aspects of the virtual that need improvement. Judges and attorneys need uniform guidance about when they should rely on virtual hearings. Criminal and problem-solving courts can potentially suffer without the in-person human touch, users reported.
In its description of the new technology, CMAC also touted the “revolutionary” virtual platform’s screen design that identifies all parties by name and role. Since the pandemic, some court functions have been funneled onto Microsoft Teams, but judges have reported some glitches.
“The progress documented in this report demonstrates how innovation — guided by feedback, research, and real-world experience — can strengthen the courts while making them more responsive to the needs of the public,” New York Chief Administrative Judge Zayas wrote.
Chief Administrative Judge Joseph Zayas speaks at the Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association Gala.Photo by Ramy Mahmoud
As it stands now, 27 judges are actively hearing appearances via NY-VCAP, according to the report. In the next phase, 13 judges in family and criminal courts will begin participating in the pilot soon. So far, of the 850 appearances on the platform have been primarily conferences, but the report noted that every judicial district is represented in the pilot, including a mix of urban, suburban, and rural areas.
Once family and criminal courts begin to participate, CMAC says it will evaluate feedback and determine long-term plans for the platform.
The court’s goal of expanding its use of the virtual platform generally conforms to the feedback that the modernization committee heard in a series of virtual listening sessions it held over the past year, according to the report.
During conversations on housing court in particular, court users including attorneys, administrators and clerks reported that the use of the virtual appearances varied sharply by geographic court district, and generally appreciated its efficiency in the areas where it had been implemented.
In family court, users complained that there was not enough guidance about when to use virtual proceedings. They are being used mainly for first appearances and status conferences, with hearings and trials generally conducted in-person, but attorneys wanted more clarity about what proceedings are actually required to be in-person.
It was only in the supreme and problem-solving courts that the virtual program “raised concerns about fairness, uneven adoption, and the increased risk of prejudicial outcomes resulting from a loss of human connection.”
“Defense attorneys emphasized the risk of losing critical human elements—such as in-person advocacy, trust-building with clients, and judges observing defendants’ demeanor—when relying too heavily on virtual appearances. Issues like inappropriate waivers of appearance, missing nonverbal cues, or clients feeling pressured into pleas were highlighted,” the report’s authors wrote.
In further expanding VCAP, the court would have to put up safeguards in criminal proceedings to reduce these issues.