After an exhaustive nationwide search, I’m pleased to announce that IAALS has named Professor David Yellen as its new chief executive officer beginning June 1. David joins IAALS following an impressive career as both a law school dean and college president, and his history of innovation, creativity, and service ultimately set him apart from hundreds of potential candidates.
As IAALS looks toward the future—and continually strives to figure out how to best tackle the barriers and inefficiencies that are effectively denying Americans real access to the legal system—I have no doubt that David is the best person to lead us into this next chapter. IAALS is better equipped than ever before to restore fairness, function, and the public’s faith in our justice system. We look forward to officially welcoming David into the IAALS family soon!
Sam Walker, Interim Executive Director February 2021
Chief Justice Roberts’s 2020 Year-End Message Lauds Courts’ Flexibility in Tumultuous Year: On December 31, 2020, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts issued his annual year-end report on the federal judiciary. In it, he lauds the flexibility and innovation shown by courts across the country as their operations were upended by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Pandemic and the Justice for All Projects: The pandemic has affected our civil justice system in many ways, yet perhaps the most important role access to justice entities can play in the near future is to advocate for the retention of remote access systems for court appearances as well as for the delivery of legal and self-help services.
Be sure to read all of the news from IAALS on our blog.
February 17: Pandemic Positives: Leveraging Partnerships While Transitioning to Remote Legal Services. Jonathan Pyle of Philadelphia Legal Assistance and Leanne Yoder of the Arizona Superior Court in Pima County will discuss how their respective organizations worked with others both internally and externally to alleviate many obstacles that come with reform.
March 11: Pandemic Positives: How to Go Virtual Without Breaking the Budget. Carolyn Kim and Renato Izquieta of the Orange County Superior Court and Jeannie Sato of the Alaska Court System will discuss how their respective organizations were able to successfully transform their in-person legal services into virtual services amid the pandemic—without expending significant resources.
March 25: Pandemic Positives: Balancing Remote Services with In-Person Needs. Presiding Judge Clemens Landau of the Salt Lake City Justice Court and Sheriece Perry of the Massachusetts Trial Courts Office of Court Management will discuss how their respective organizations were able to balance the necessity of remote services with their customers' in-person needs.
April 20–22: Unbundled Legal Services in the New Normal virtual conference
January 21: “Pandemic Spurs Innovation: Deschutes County Access to Justice Ahead of the Curve” in Cascade Business News
January 14: “Supreme Court Innovation Initiative adds Civil Litigation Taskforce” in the Indiana Lawyer
January 14: “ABA launches initiative to help measure effectiveness of regulatory reforms” in ABA Journal
January 12: “'A Dream Come True Instead of a Nightmare': Will the Bar Exam Revamp Go Far Enough?” on Law.com
January 7: “Missouri Commission on Civil Justice Reform recommends discovery reform, increasing access to remote proceedings for all” in the St. Louis Record
January 4: “Bar Tests Need ‘Lawyering Skills’ Focus, Examiner Group Says” in Bloomberg Law
January 4: “Bar Exam Overhaul Plans Go Public. So Long, MBE” on Law.com
January 2021: “New Pandemic Discovery Protocols for Business Interruption Insurance Litigation” in Colorado Lawyer
Noteworthy
Zack DeMeola discussed the ABA Center for Innovation’s new subcommittee on regulatory reform and legal innovation metrics in Harvard’s The Practice
Brittany Kauffman appeared on the NCSC's Tiny Chat concerning best practices in debt collection cases
IAALS’ Building a Better Bar report noted as an ADR Scholarship Project on Indisputably.org
IAALS’ Public Perspectives on Trust & Confidence in the Courts report cited on Court Leader
IAALS’ Eighteen Ways Courts Should Use Technology to Better Serve Their Customers report listed as a COVID-19 resource on SRLN’s website
Indiana Innovation Initiative task forces utilizing Civil Justice Initiative and Family Justice Initiative recommendations in their work, and their Technology Working Group benchmarking their services against IAALS' Eighteen Ways Courts Should Use Technology to Better Serve Their Customers
