IAALS and the Future of Civil Justice

History Colorado Center
1200 Broadway
Denver, CO 80203

In our 20th year, IAALS is expanding its flagship Rebuilding Justice event into something bigger than ever before: a day-long Forum on Innovation and Impact that convenes national leaders for urgent conversations on the future of civil justice.

Before our annual dinner, IAALS will host this forum featuring conversations with longtime partners, leaders from the profession and business community, and a new generation of visionaries who are setting their sights on transforming our system for the better. The forum is designed to provide opportunities for connection between speakers and attendees, and in-depth discussion on innovation and impact across the country. CLE credit is pending for the substantive portion of the Forum.

Learn more about sponsorship opportunities

For sponsorship or other event information, please contact Amy Downing, Events and Partnership Manager, at amy.downing@du.edu.

Program Agenda

IAALS Partner Roundtable

Roundtable participants will address the biggest challenges to our collective reform efforts over the last 20 years, opportunities going forward, and the power and necessity of partnership and collaboration in achieving this mission.

Elizabeth Clement, President, National Center for State Courts
Joey Orduña Hastings, CEO, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
Jeremy Fogel, Executive Director, Berkeley Judicial Institute
Lucy Ricca, Executive Director, Neukom Center for the Rule of Law

Moderator: Brittany Kauffman, CEO, IAALS

Luncheon: The Present and Future of Civil Justice

Our 2026 Rebuilding Justice awardees are a collective powerhouse of visionaries, innovators, and leaders who will speak to their work to transform our civil justice system and inspire all of us in this work to clear a path to justice for everyone. Together, they embody our five core values—question the status quo, let data guide the way, center the people, find common ground, and set our sights on tomorrow—and represent the many forms of leadership needed to rebuild justice, and the values that must guide our system at large.

Question the Status Quo: Dave Byers, Director, Administrative Office of the Courts, Arizona Supreme Court
Let Data Guide the Way: William C. Hubbard, Dean and Educational Foundation Distinguished Professor, University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law
Center the People: Stacy Rupprecht Jane, Director, Innovation for Justice (i4J)
Find Common Ground: Nathan L. Hecht, Chief Justice (Ret.), Supreme Court of Texas
Set Our Sights on Tomorrow: Sateesh Nori, Chief Legal Futurist, LawDroid

Master of Ceremonies: Jim Sandman, Chair, IAALS Executive Committee and Board of Advisors

The Role and Future of the Profession, hosted by IAALS’ Lawyers Council

As the legal profession confronts rapid shifts in technology, client expectations, and access-to-justice needs, the future demands bold innovation and a willingness to rethink long-standing models of regulation and practice.

Hosted by the IAALS Lawyers Council—a group of prominent law firms and businesses committed to reexamining how the American civil justice system can better serve the needs of us all—this session we will feature conversation with leaders at the forefront of legal transformation and a forward-looking discussion on the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Jordan Furlong, Principal, Law21
Patrick Palace, Founder, Palace Law
Camille Nelson, Dean and Professor of Law, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa | William S. Richardson School of Law

Setting Our Sights on the Future

This interactive session will look to the future, building on the energy and momentum of the day and providing an opportunity for input and engagement from all around the future of our justice system.

Michael Houlberg, Director of Special Projects, IAALS
Jessica Bednarz, Director of Legal Services and the Profession, IAALS
Danielle Kalil, Director of Civil Justice and the Judiciary, IAALS
Logan Cornett, Director of Research, IAALS
Robert Southers, Policy & Justice Initiatives Counsel, Ohio Access to Justice Foundation
Elisa Overall, Executive Director, Colorado Access to Justice Commission

Rebuilding Justice Award Dinner

The day will conclude with the option to attend our annual Rebuilding Justice Award Dinner next door at the Colorado Art Museum. This separately ticketed event is IAALS’ signature celebration of leadership and reform.

The evening will feature opportunities for connection, presentation of our Rebuilding Justice Award and Alli Gerkman Legal Visionary Award, and a fireside chat with national leaders—capturing both IAALS’ history and its bold path forward.

Together, the forum and dinner mark the heart of IAALS’ anniversary year: convening, collaborating, and celebrating those who rebuild justice every day.

More information about the dinner