IAALS has an exciting slate of projects in the queue as we approach spring. We’ll launch our Allied Professionals project in earnest this month, an effort to equip and encourage more states to implement legal paraprofessional programs based on best practices and a new national model. We’re also gearing up for JPE 2.0, which will help state judicial performance evaluation programs modernize and update practices to better assist both judges and the public. And, our research on long-term civil filings data will soon shed new light on case filing trends, made even more crucial in the wake of the pandemic’s effects on our courts.
Thank you for your continued support of our mission. Together, we’re working to achieve justice for all.
David Yellen, CEO March 2022
Upsolve’s Rohan Pavuluri Named 2022 Recipient of IAALS’ Alli Gerkman Legal Visionary Award: IAALS is awarding Rohan Pavuluri, CEO and co-founder of Upsolve, the second annual Alli Gerkman Legal Visionary Award. "IAALS is thrilled to present Rohan with this award, recognizing his efforts to shake up the status quo and push the boundaries of our justice system," said David Yellen, CEO of IAALS.
The Paths to Racial Justice: Our Civil System Must Acknowledge Shortcomings and Take Concrete Action: Our final two Paths to Justice events, focused on racial justice, brought together diverse perspectives and partners to engage in a dialogue around inequities in our civil justice system and how it relates to public trust and confidence. IAALS has published two issue papers highlighting outcomes and key takeaways for the paths forward.
The Pandemic’s Impact on State Court Filings—and What We Can Learn from Filings More Broadly: Recent data reflects dramatic changes in incoming state court cases and case processing since the pandemic’s onset, providing a unique perspective into the impact of the pandemic on people’s lives, their evolving justice needs, and the cases that are brought to our state courts for resolution. And, new civil filings data from IAALS is forthcoming.
Utah’s Certified Advocates Partners Program Made Possible by Regulatory Sandbox: In Utah, victims of domestic violence and stalking who cannot afford or otherwise don’t want to hire a lawyer are now able to seek the help of victim advocates. These advocates are permitted to provide certain legal advice, which was solely the purview of lawyers before the state's regulatory sandbox opened.
Text-Message Reminders from Courts Could Become the Norm in Colorado: In January, a bill was introduced in the Colorado Senate that would make text-message reminders to criminal and juvenile defendants required by law. More and more, courts are embracing technology as a way of keeping people navigating the justice system up to date.
Be sure to read all of the news from IAALS on our blog.
February 17: "Pennsylvania law mandates judges retire at age 75. Here is how they can avoid it" in the Bucks County Courier Times
February 16: "Zouhary: New citizens demonstrate importance of civics education" in the Toledo Blade
February 6: "State supreme courts and the challenges of PeopleLaw" in Legal Evolution
February 3: "Oregon Leads Pack of States Eyeing Bar Exam Alternatives" on Law360 Pulse
