News & Updates

From smartphones to video conferencing, there are numerous technology options that are simple, effective, and could make a great deal of difference in court users' experiences. IAALS' Eighteen Ways Courts Should Use Technology to Better Serve Their Customers explores some of these options and their potential impact on our civil justice system. 

Between 2016 and 2018, 11 states were awarded grants under the Justice for All Initiative. Now they've completed their strategic planning processes and are ready to begin the implementation phase, with common themes among plans being use of technology, strong governanance, and internal and external communications. 

​In June, the National Center for States Courts released the second in a series of evaluations of civil justice reform demonstration pilot projects around the country. The report details efforts in the 22nd Judicial Circuit of Illinois, located in McHenry County, where the pilot primarily focused on implementing civil case management teams, tools, technology, and the pathways approach.

As state courts work to serve the substantial numbers of litigants who navigate the civil and family court process without an attorney, they are taking a variety of approaches. One approach is the use of “nonlawyer navigators.” A recent study from the Justice Lab at Georgetown Law Center identified and analyzed 23 nonlawyer navigator programs and provides recommendations.

The National Center for States Courts has released the first in a series of evaluations of civil justice reform demonstration pilot projects around the country. The pilot, in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, focused on implementing civil case management teams (CCMTs)—an innovative court staffing model that delegates case management responsibilities across a team of judges and staff.

On April 29, Maine continued its efforts toward civil justice reform by conducting an all-day Civil Justice Reform Training Conference, designed to familiarize the state's justices, judges, and court staff with the establishment of three different case tracks and corresponding proposed amendments to Maine’s rules of civil procedure.

Ken has been with IAALS' Board of Advisors since 2015, and as an early supporter of our work in legal education, Ken has served the Board as a thoughtful, candid, and generous member. We thank him for his insight and many contributions over the years.

Technological advances in the legal field are growing around the world, but different countries are seeing that growth manifest at different speeds and in different ways. In Australia, legal technology is just beginning to explode, and very quickly.

It is no secret that divorce poses significant problems for those who go through the legal process. The adversarial nature of the legal process can put people at odds with one another and the courts are not well-positioned to provide emotional and future-planning support. IAALS has released a new report detailing the evaluation of our out-of-court model aimed at addressing these challenges for families with children.

Online dispute resolution is emerging in courts around the country. Last month, Arizona’s Administrative Office of the Courts announced the launch of an ODR pilot program in the family courts of Pinal County, and there are also startups providing similar services through intelligent dispute resolution.

The best lawyers are not the ones that leave “no stone unturned” but rather they are the ones who know which stones are critical to the outcome of the dispute. This type of professional judgment lies at the core of every successful litigator, and this message is reinforced loud and clear in IAALS’ Recommendations for Improving Dispositive Motions Practice in State and Federal Courts.

This week, IAALS Executive Director Rebecca Love Kourlis and Senior Director Brittany Kauffman have been attending the World Justice Forum at The Hague. The Forum has generated discussion around some of the most pressing legal topics in the world today.

In December 2018, NCSC issued its Final Report for the Arizona Superior Court’s three-year Commercial Court Pilot Program, which provides a formal analysis of the impact of the Commercial Court in cases not involving emergency relief, and offers additional recommendations to help streamline the now permanent Commercial Court.

IAALS’ Court Compass project has received an honorable mention as part of the World Justice Project’s World Justice Challenge 2019. Thirty projects have been selected as finalists to be showcased at the World Justice Forum on April 29 – May 2, and IAALS Executive Director Rebecca Love Kourlis and Senior Director Brittany Kauffman will be in attendance and speaking on panels.

As state courts around the country have been responding to the Conference of Chief Justices' 2016 Call to Action for civil justice reform, IAALS, NCSC, and NCJFCJ also have been focused on developing companion recommendations for evaluating and improving the way courts handle domestic relations cases, which have just been released.

In an important step toward making family courts more user-friendly and less adversarial, the Conference of Chief Justices has adopted new guidelines to help courts be more responsive to the needs of families.

It was IAALS’ honor to know and work closely with Justice Daryl Hecht of Iowa, who passed away last week. His was a life well-lived, and we are all lucky to have had him in our midst.

Last October, the Federal Judicial Center released a second report on the Pilot Project Regarding Initial Discovery Protocols for Employment Cases Alleging Adverse Action, which sets forth a set of pattern discovery protocols developed by a task force of plaintiff and defense attorneys working in conjunction with IAALS.

“Justice for all.” It is a promise of American democracy and enshrined in our Pledge of Allegiance. And yet, it is not a reality. IAALS wants to change all of that. We are proud to present you with our 2018 Annual Report, which highlights our work and accomplishments within this important context.

This month IAALS is co-hosting the third in a series of webinars with the National Center for State Courts focused on providing practical information and guidance on implementing civil justice reform, titled, "Civil Justice Reform: Making Motions Practice More Effective and Efficient." The webinars are part of our three-year Civil Justice Initiative implementation project focused on providing support for on-the-ground reform through education, expert assistance, regional action planning summits, demonstration projects, and a variety of tools.