Events

IAALS participated in a panel discussion that included a history and overview of the Colorado merit selection system, how it compares to other systems nationally, and ethical dilemmas and challenges when litigating in states with other judicial selection systems.

IAALS assembled a diverse group of stakeholders, including representatives of the plaintiff and defense bars, citizens involved in judicial nominating and evaluating processes, representatives from the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, members of the business community, and non-profit leaders, to identify the desired attributes of individual judges and court systems.

In October 2011, IAALS recognized three federal judges as the 2011 recipients of the Fifth Annual Transparent Courthouse® Award (now the Rebuilding Justice Award). The Honorable Mark R. Kravitz, the Honorable Lee H. Rosenthal, and the Honorable John G. Koeltl have provided leadership in the federal courts for the benefit of litigants for years, and have been at the forefront of efforts to reform civil rules to make cases move more efficiently through the system.

This national conference considered ways to improve existing processes for evaluating the performance of appellate judges and for informing voters about evaluation results. Chief Justice Mark Cady of the Iowa Supreme Court was the featured speaker.

In October 2010, IAALS hosted more than 100 guests, board members, and friends of the Institute for our fourth annual award dinner (now the Rebuilding Justice Award Dinner). This year's recipients of the Transparent Courthouse® Award were Nevada Senator William J. Raggio, Nevada Assembly Speaker Barbara E. Buckley, and former Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer, posthumously.

In October 2009, IAALS hosted guests, board members, and friends of the Institute for our third annual award dinner (now the Rebuilding Justice Award Dinner).

In September 2009, more than 70 veteran attorneys, business executives, and judges gathered to discuss an issue that many believe has had the biggest impact on the practice of law in recent years – electronic discovery. Part of the IAALS Leadership Series.

IAALS hosted the 2009 Civil Rules Summit. Thirty-two renowned civil justice system experts including U.S. District Court Judge Lee Rosenthal gathered to discuss America's civil justice system problems, but with a greater emphasis on identifying solutions.

In October 2008, a distinguished group of judges, attorneys, and business leaders gathered to recognize the extraordinary work of Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice Christine M. Durham, who was honored for her achievements in building a more responsive and effective court system.

In August 2008, judges, JPE coordinators, and experts from nearly 20 states attended this forum, hosted by IAALS. This two-day conference featured two tracks of panel sessions, one focusing on building a JPE program from the ground up, and the other emphasizing advanced strategies for jurisdictions with existing JPE programs.

In October 2007, United State Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor (Ret.) received the inaugural Transparent Courthouse® Award for a lifetime of work to promote excellence in America's courts.

In fall 2007, IAALS and the American Judicature Society (AJS) hosted a panel discussion at the National Conference of State Legislatures’ Annual Meeting. The panel discussion was selected as a Top Ten Forum from among 200 policy presentations.

In Spring 2007, IAALS hosted an unprecedented gathering of state Supreme Court Justices, federal and state court judges and top legal reform experts from the U.S. and England. Civil justice system best practices in Oregon, Colorado, and Singapore were discussed and Lord Harry Woolf of Barnes—the architect of England’s legal system overhaul—made a presentation.

In October 2006, Federal District Court Judge Richard A. Matsch and leading New York lawyer and author Philip K. Howard took center-stage at the University of Denver to discuss some of America’s most contentious legal and social issues. IAALS Executive Director Rebecca Love Kourlis moderated the presentation, the first of an occasional series of presentations designed to highlight major issues and experts in the legal and judicial arena.