Fifteen years ago, in January 2006, IAALS opened its doors on the University of Denver campus. Since then, we have been unwavering in our mission to restore fairness, function, and the public’s faith in our justice system. We enter 2021 with the same drive and commitment as always. 2020 was a difficult year for all of us, including our justice system—but we are committed to ensuring that past is not prologue and that our work will fundamentally improve the system for everyone, especially those who have been left behind. As last Wednesday’s tragic events illustrated, the rule of law is a pillar of our American way of life and our democracy, and it cannot be taken for granted. This year, we have much work to do, but in the end we will be closer than ever to a justice system we can believe in.
Sam Walker, Interim Executive Director January 2021
In February and March, IAALS will host a four-part speaker series to bring together courts, self-help centers, legal aid centers, and law/public libraries to share what they've learned about implementing virtual services amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Presenters will discuss how they balanced virtual services with in-person needs, created effective partnerships, kept the public up to date on relevant changes, and more. Registration is free and open now.
Please check our website soon for details about the two additional sessions, which will take place in March.
Measuring Justice Needs and Delivery in a Pandemic: In June of last year, HiiL surveyed thought leaders in the justice sector about what it would mean to deliver justice during the COVID-19 crisis. The goal was to collect real-time data about justice needs and innovative responses to the pandemic, including the kinds of problems expected to increase and the ways justice institutions in various countries were already responding to them.
Will 2020 Be Hindsight? Swimming Naked in Our Justice System: 2020 revealed that most of us are swimming naked when it comes to our ability to meaningfully access our justice system. 2020 certainly exacerbated issues, but its true effect and power was revealing our society’s not-so-secret dirty secrets: systemic racism, growing income inequality, the failing U.S. healthcare system, and a justice system that only serves a small minority of Americans.
IAALS' Michael Houlberg Discusses Court Innovation on Pandemic Positives Webinar: In December, IAALS Manager Michael Houlberg joined Presiding Judge Clemens Landau of the Salt Lake City Justice Court for a webinar that covered new ideas and practices that legal service providers have developed from the COVID-19 pandemic—many of which may bolster the justice system long into the future.
Be sure to read all of the news from IAALS on our blog.
Visit our Knowledge Center to track what's happening around the country and the world when it comes to legal regulation, as well as submit information and sign up for notifications.
December 17: “Former Washington state bar leader remembered as a champion for legal innovation” in ABA Journal
December 11: "Prepared remarks: Attorney General Phil Weiser discusses leading with empathy with the Colorado Bar Association (Dec. 11, 2020)" on the Colorado Attorney General's blog
December 10: "Jurisdictions with COVID-19-related diploma privilege are going back to bar exam admissions" in ABA Journal
December 7: “NCBE Dismisses 114-Page Academic Report As ‘Fake News’” in Above the Law
December 4: “Law grads faced financial, medical challenges to take the bar this year” in ABC News
December 3: “Dear Santa: Here’s A Wish List For A Better Bar Exam” in Above the Law
December 2: “Amid COVID-19, the Bar Exam Faces a Reckoning and a Revamp” on Law.com
