Elevating Paralegals: Why IAALS and NALA are the Perfect Partners for the Future of Legal Services

There is a not so quiet crisis unfolding in the American civil justice system. Every year, millions of Americans up and down the income scale face life-altering legal hurdles—from gut-wrenching child custody disputes to sudden landlord-tenant conflicts. Yet, a staggering 70% of civil and family law cases involve at least one party trying to navigate the complex web of the legal system completely alone, simply because they cannot afford an attorney. 

For NALA – The Paralegal Association (NALA), this crisis isn't just a statistic; it is a reality paralegals witness every day. Paralegals possess the deep substantive knowledge, specialized skills, and hands-on legal experience needed to guide people through the system. However, traditional, rigid unauthorized practice of law rules have historically restricted them from providing direct help to the public.

That is exactly where the mission of IAALS perfectly aligns with NALA’s vision.

A Shared Mission: Empowering Allied Legal Professionals

IAALS has spent twenty years developing practical, solution-oriented innovations that modernize the American legal ecosystem. A primary pillar of their work is the cultivation and spread of Allied Legal Professional (ALP) programs across the country. 

Much like nurse practitioners revolutionized medicine by providing affordable, high-quality healthcare alongside doctors, ALPs represent a new, regulated tier of legal providers. These licensed professionals, often highly experienced paralegals, are authorized in a growing number of states to offer limited-scope legal advice and representation in high-need areas like family law, tenant rights, and debt collection.

By actively mapping out, researching, and standardizing these programs nationwide, IAALS is directly elevating the paralegal profession. They are transforming it from a strictly behind-the-scenes support role into an empowered, consumer-facing pathway to career advancement. For NALA members, IAALS’ work legitimizes their expertise and paves a clear legal highway to independent practice. 

Why NALA Selected IAALS as the 2026 Highlighted Charity

When NALA looks for a charitable partner, it seeks an organization that doesn't just discuss legal problems but actively engineers the solutions. IAALS was chosen as this year’s charity to highlight because their empirical research directly impacts the day-to-day future of paralegals.

Supporting IAALS means investing in a future where a paralegal's career horizon isn’t capped by outdated rules. By putting NALA’s collective weight behind IAALS, the paralegal community is actively funding the research, national frameworks, and state-level advocacy needed to make legal services more accessible for the middle class while expanding professional autonomy for paralegals and other legal practitioners nationwide.

What IAALS is Building Next: The Future of ALPs

The momentum behind ALPs is scaling rapidly, and IAALS is leading the charge. Over the past few years, states like Arizona, Colorado, and Minnesota have proven that ALPs can deliver exceptional legal services safely, maintaining consumer grievance rates that are as low as, or lower than, traditional attorneys.

So, what does the future hold? IAALS is currently focusing its efforts on two major, forward-looking frontiers:

• National Title: IAALS will soon be releasing a report that details its comprehensive research initiative to evaluate how current titles resonate with the public and the legal community. IAALS will be recommending “Legal Practitioner” as the title that most effectively conveys competence, authority, and clarity. The establishment of a unified national title is not merely a matter of aesthetics; it is a strategic necessity for the legitimacy and growth of the profession.
• Program Assessments and Evaluations: IAALS is also working closely with multiple states to assess and evaluate their ALP programs to better understand exactly where these programs are succeeding and where changes can be made to improve the programs for both legal professionals and the public. 

The traditional legal framework is evolving. Thanks to the synergy between NALA and IAALS, paralegals are no longer just watching the transformation from the sidelines—they are driving it.

You can hear more from Michael Houlberg, IAALS' Director of Special Projects, at the 2026 NALA Conference & Expo in Denver, Colorado, from July 16-18, 2026.