In Maryland, the creation of special family divisions in the state’s five largest jurisdictions has transformed the way courts handle family law cases. A recent article in the National Center for State Courts’ 2016 Trends in State Courts explains how the creation of these special family divisions can provide a model for improving the way such cases are treated across the country.

Last summer, the Washington State Bar Association held its first round of exams in a new Limited License Legal Technician program (LLLT) aimed at bridging the access to justice gap by allowing non-lawyers to provide legal advice and assistance in limited areas, like domestic relations/family law. Now, a recent article provides an update how the LLLT program is progressing in the state.

In a recent article, Educating Tomorrow’s Lawyers Fellow John Lande breaks down the results of a creative session held at the American Bar Association’s Section on Dispute Resolution Conference earlier this year. The session (and article) borrows its message from hockey great Wayne Gretzky, who said he always tried to skate “where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.”

The National Center for State Courts’ 2016 Trends in State Courts includes an article focused on the impact that high-volume cases, such as consumer...

The National Self-Represented Litigants Project (NSRLP) recently released Canadian data on case outcomes for self-represented litigants (SRLs). These new figures come shortly after NSRLP published research showing that in cases where a self-represented litigant faces a motion for summary judgment brought by a represented party, 95% of SRLs will have their cases dismissed.

We live in a time of cynicism and dissatisfaction with government—a dissatisfaction that includes the judicial branch. Gallup surveys of satisfaction with the way the nation is being governed have been stuck for the past few years at levels not seen since the days of President Richard Nixon and Watergate. Approval of the United States Supreme Court, which historically stayed safely in positive territory, has been close to 50-50 in recent years—and was negative (50% disapproving, 45% approving) at the start of the Court’s term last October.

As law schools across the country strive to produce lawyers who can hit the ground running—and as we gear up to launch our Foundations for Practice findings—Alli Gerkman, Director of Educating Tomorrow’s Lawyers, has been hitting the road around the country to explain how legal educators and employers can work together to shape the future of legal education.

Updates to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and a rising crop of tech savvy attorneys have Magistrate Judge John M. Facciola (Ret.) of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia optimistic about the future of e-discovery.

The June edition of 5280 Magazine highlights the reality of self-representation in Colorado’s civil courts. Referencing the first-hand experience of a litigant who navigated her way through the family court process without an attorney, the article discusses how more and more Coloradoans are without legal representation in their civil case.

The judicial screening and nominating process, used to select judges in two thirds of the states, is one area in which implicit bias may have a negative impact. This potential is addressed in a great new resource from the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law School, which provides nominating commission members with concrete guidance on the steps they can take to promote a more diverse bench.

We are pleased to announce the results of our evaluation of the Resource Center for Separating and Divorcing Families (RCSDF)—the first manifestation of the IAALS Honoring Families Initiative’s out-of-court model for separation and divorce.

IAALS has been instrumental in changing the landscape of Colorado’s civil pre-trial practice. It all began with Becky Kourlis’ provocative and influential speech at the American College of Trial Lawyers annual meeting in March 2007, where she outlined the disturbing trends and challenges facing our justice system. Becky’s talk was the seed that grew into the ACTL Task Force on Discovery and Civil Justice, which was tasked with taking a hard look at these problem areas and recommending improvements. IAALS provided a wealth of information, experience, necessary guidance, and high credibility to the Task Force.