Through its Better Access through Unbundling Conference, IAALS has set the national agenda for expanding legal access through limited scope services—and the table is set for the use and growth of unbundling. Jurisdictions have the benefit of model rules, bar endorsement, and replicable models to encourage lawyers to unbundle and make that availability known to consumers.
IAALS’ recent publication, Redefining Case Management, provides an updated set of civil case management guidelines. Notably, the discussion surrounding strong case management by the court is not focused on the overall pace of litigation; the goals are “fair, efficient, and accountable” case management, not just faster litigation.
Our courts are suffering from a severe lack of public confidence. In a recent piece for the ABA Journal, ABA President-elect Judy Perry Martinez suggests that the causes are twofold, and to begin rebuilding public trust and confidence in our courts, she has a few suggestions.
The outcomes of the IAALS/ABA Better Access through Unbundling conference include specific directions and recommendations to make unbundling an even more significant way to advance affordable access to legal services. Now is the time to bring stakeholders together, solidify strategic plans, and dedicate resources to the advancement of unbundling.
The Journal of Legal Education’s latest issue focuses on the ABA’s new standards on assessments and the reaction of law schools who now need to understand best practices in designing student learning outcomes. Professor Sophie Sparrow’s article highlights IAALS’ Foundations for Practice project and the value of “soft skills” to a young lawyer.
How do I spend most of my time as a federal court district judge? The best part of my job is presiding at a trial with good trial lawyers. But unfortunately that does not happen as often as I would like both because there has been a decline in trials and, with that, a decline in lawyers who have trial experience.
Tom Clarke is a gift. He is brilliant, collaborative, good-natured, and visionary. So many of the good ideas that are bubbling through the court systems in the United States today can be traced back to Tom. As a community of court geeks, court reformers, and court lovers, we owe a great deal to him.
In the most recent issue of the Bar Examiner, Alli Gerkman and I discuss the perceived skills gap that affects employment for newly graduated law students, an issue that has even greater implications for the profession as a whole when new lawyers enter the workforce unprepared or underprepared.
According to news reports, a state district judge in Oklahoma agreed to resign following a petition describing numerous acts of misconduct. The case illustrates several aspects of state judicial discipline highlighted in a recent IAALS report.
The State of Oregon continues to blaze a trail in civil justice reform. A new report from the Oregon Judicial Department, released at the end of June, contains recommendations to improve civil justice in the state, and it provides a master class for other states looking to reform their own systems.
Law Week Colorado recently highlighted IAALS’ new report on the landscape of summary judgment motions practice. The report is intended to serve as a foundation for conversations about current practices and eventual improvements, and recognizes that motions practice—as much as discovery—has a role to play in civil justice reform.
IAALS offers this new report for legal practitioners, service providers, and other access to justice advocates, which details the themes, recommendations, and strategic plans that emerged from our Better Access through Unbundling Conference—with takeaways for every jurisdiction, whether or not they have embraced unbundling to this point.