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Unlocking
Justice
Innovation

Too many people cannot effectively access our legal system to protect their rights and resolve their disputes. But if we want to make legal services more accessible, we must re-envision how they are delivered. This project is about taking a bold step forward into a consumer-centered regulatory system—one that is competitive, broadly accessible, and better meets the needs of the people.

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People-Centered Legal Regulation: Grassroots Engagement with the Public

States at the forefront of legal regulation efforts understand that public engagement is a critical piece of the puzzle, but states have difficulties engaging with everyday people on these complex and nuanced issues. This project is developing strategies and tools that states need to facilitate meaningful public participation in these vital efforts.

Building a Better Bar: Capturing Minimum Competence

The legal profession has never had a clear, explicit understanding of the minimum competence needed to practice law and how it should be tested on the bar exam (or through other licensing approaches). Through this project, we have defined minimum competence and have new recommendations for how the legal licensing process—including the bar exam—must change to better serve the public.

What We Do

IAALS is changing how our system serves people today, while anticipating and preparing for future needs—delivering justice all of us can believe in.

people gathered to improve the legal system

For the People

What good is the promise of “justice for all” if costs, complexity, and inaccessibility make it impossible for so many? Our system is designed to serve the people, so IAALS places them at the center of all we do.

dad and daughter walking into courthouse

Through the Courts

At IAALS, we’re identifying innovations that make the court system easier to navigate for everyone, while also helping courts increase efficiency, reduce procedural complexity, and make the most of the often limited resources they have.

With the Profession

The legal profession must evolve to put client and consumer needs first. IAALS is helping do just that—through improved legal education, better lawyer licensing, and re-regulation of legal services to make them more available and responsive to all.

We work across five broad areas of reform in our legal system:

Civil Justice Reform

Family Justice Reform

The Judiciary

Legal Education

Legal Profession

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Recent News and Updates

News and Updates

Dinner guests seated with CEO Brittany Kauffman speaks on stage

Rebuilding Justice Award Dinner Celebrates National Efforts to Expand Access to Justice

IAALS' 17th annual celebration drew 200 supporters and partners as we marked our shared achievements to improve access to justice, and united behind our collective efforts to uphold the rule of law and ensure that justice for all is a reality for everyone.

News and Updates

View from inside a courthouse looking out during a sunrise

When the Rule of Law Is Under Attack, We Must Stand Together

Today, the promise of our justice system is under siege. We face unprecedented attacks on the judiciary, attacks that aren’t just political, but fundamental. Collective action is needed not only to defend the rule of law, but to improve our justice system for all.

Informational Page

AI, Access to Justice & UPL: Shaping the Future of Legal Services

This series explores how AI-driven legal innovation intersects with the regulation of Unauthorized Practice of Law (UPL), and how reforms can balance consumer protection with broader access to legal services. Building on IAALS’ November 2024 convening, it includes three webinars and a summer workshop.

News and Updates

A Conversation with Robert Southers, 2025 Alli Gerkman Legal Visionary Award Recipient

Robert Southers discusses what drives his passion for access to justice, building trust with the community, and what it means to receive the Alli Gerkman Legal Visionary Award.