News & Updates

The legal community has varying opinions on regulatory reform, with some supporting, some opposing, and many unaware. As people explore this topic, they often encounter several arguments against reform—countered here with data and insights from other industries.

Leaders in the regulatory innovation movement encounter two persistent misconceptions: that the access to justice crisis solely impacts low-income individuals and that new legal market models pose risks to consumers. Despite evidence refuting these beliefs, they persist, underscoring the need for clarification and advocacy efforts.

The program recognizes that entrepreneurial lawyers and nonlawyers alike should be empowered to pilot a range of differing business forms that would otherwise be prohibited, but could ultimately improve access to justice and legal services for the public.

The Above the Line Network strongly supports the Commission on Indiana’s Legal Future recommendation to advise practitioners on alternative fee structures to address the state's attorney shortage. ATLN has submitted public comments to advise practitioners on alternative fee arrangements.

As more states reimagine how legal services can be delivered, it's crucial to emphasize that successful implementation hinges on robust data collection and evaluation. The more data we gather and analyze, the more robust our foundation becomes for advancing regulatory innovation.

Around a third of American households live just above the poverty line, facing financial struggles yet ineligible for many social services such as free legal aid. Initiatives like the Above the Line Network aim to improve access to affordable legal assistance for these underserved communities.

Following Utah's example, several other states and Canadian provinces are exploring regulatory sandboxes to address the access to justice crisis and create innovative services for people's unmet legal needs.

The Above the Line Network has launched the ATLN Hub, a new website that provides an online home for the growing community of leaders working together to make legal services more affordable for everyday people.

Design Your Law Practice: Using Design Thinking to Get Next Level Results is a one-stop resource for law firm owners to learn the basics of design thinking and prepare them to immediately apply these approaches to their own practices.

In October, IAALS convened leaders from various regulatory innovation initiatives to discuss sandbox and alternative business structure efforts and research, improve stakeholder engagement, and emphasize the importance of community relations.

Community-based justice worker programs equip individuals in community organizations to offer legal services, helping to bridge the access to justice gap. I4J provides design options for these programs, focusing on regulatory reforms, training, service scope, and credentialing.

Alternative Business Structures offer a promising, though still evolving, path toward expanding access to legal services in the United States. Early data from Utah and Arizona show encouraging signs, but critical questions remain.