New and Familiar Faces to Lead IAALS Communications and Educating Tomorrow's Lawyers

IAALS, the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System at the University of Denver, is pleased to announce that it is welcoming a new Director of Communications and Marketing and a new Director of its national legal education initiative.

Alli Gerkman took the helm as the first full-time director of Educating Tomorrow's Lawyers in May. She joined IAALS in 2011 and has served as its Director of Communications since August 2012. Taking her place as Director of Communications and Marketing on July 29 is Robert P. Thompson, who comes to IAALS after many years of nonprofit service.

Gerkman has been an integral part of the Educating Tomorrow's Lawyers team since its launch and brings significant professional development experience to the initiative, having spent five years in continuing legal education, where she developed an award-winning online legal resource for Colorado lawyers. Before her work in continuing legal education, Gerkman practiced law in Denver, Colorado.

Thompson joins IAALS after an extensive career in nonprofit communications, most recently at Mile High United Way, where he directed media relations, created imaging to maximize market awareness and success, and managed the organization's brand and reputation. Prior to his nonprofit work, Thompson worked in television news as a reporter and anchor in San Francisco and Denver.

IAALS is a national, independent research center dedicated to continuous improvement of the process and culture of the civil justice system. By leveraging a unique blend of empirical and legal research, innovative solutions, broad-based collaboration, communications, and ongoing measurement in strategically selected, high-impact areas, IAALS is empowering others with the knowledge, models, and will to advance a more accessible, efficient, and accountable civil justice system.