IAALS is pleased to announce that two of our own have been promoted to director positions as of July 1: Logan Cornett has been promoted to Director of Research and Zack DeMeola has been promoted to Director of Legal Education and the Legal Profession.

Studies show that up to 80 percent of Americans’ civil legal needs go unmet—and that will likely grow due to the pandemic. Change cannot wait any longer. It is time for us to reimagine the ways in which legal services in our country are delivered, and leaders across the profession are calling for immediate action.

Last month, the NCSC commissioned a survey of one thousand registered voters to gauge levels of public trust and confidence in the state courts. Many of the questions focused on the coronavirus pandemic and how respondents felt about remote court processes, protective measures for in-person courthouse appearances, and other new realities.

Last month, it was announced that reforms to Canada’s Divorce Act will be delayed due to COVID-19, highlighting just how important it is that courts prepare for this and other types of possible disasters. There are a number of practical steps courts must take now in order to meet people’s needs in a world where going to a physical courthouse is even more difficult—and dangerous.

On June 25, IAALS and the University of Denver Sturm College of Law co-hosted a virtual discussion with William Henderson, law professor and an ABA Journal Legal Rebel, who laid out how and why the current legal regulatory system is no longer working and why state supreme courts are best positioned to pioneer new regulatory models.

The California Board of Trustees is meeting today to consider the charter and composition of the Closing the Justice Gap Working Group. We at IAALS applaud the board for creating the working group and committing to move forward with important and innovative legal services solutions, but we strongly encourage them to significantly diversify its membership.

The regulatory reform signal shines brightly over Utah and your help is needed—will you answer the call? The public comment period on Utah's proposals to expand the delivery of legal services is open until Thursday, July 23. It is imperative for all those who are committed to making justice available for all to submit comments in favor of these important advancements.

IAALS has announced that Scott Bales, its Executive Director, will step down effective July 31, 2020. Sam Walker has been appointed by the IAALS Executive Committee to serve as Interim Executive Director while IAALS conducts a nationwide search for the position.

The legacy of racism that blights our criminal justice system also creates inequities in our society more broadly. IAALS joins others in this process of listening, reflecting, and recommitting ourselves to the goals of equity and inclusion, because they are central to our vision of a justice system that works for all people.

For the second year in a row, Ohio is on track to make significant amendments to its Rules of Civil Procedure and to pilot a second civil justice case management reform project. These amendments align with national recommendations for reform and reflect similar reforms made in Idaho, Maine, Missouri, and Texas.

Unauthorized practice of law rules grant lawyers a monopoly on providing legal advice and prevent “nonlawyers” from providing any meaningful legal assistance. This mindset codified in the UPL rules, along with our country’s staggering racial wealth gap, have a chilling effect on Black Americans' access to the legal system.

Professional ethics rules have long prevented judges from speaking about their rulings and opinions. However, beginning next month, California state judges will be able to comment directly on pending cases—their own or those of a judicial colleague—in connection with a judicial election or recall campaign.