News & Updates

Self-represented litigants struggle to navigate a court system that was not designed for them, resulting in justice that is shaped as much by system design as by the merits of a case.

Over the past 20 years, IAALS has built a national reputation as an independent force behind civil justice transformation. Read more about our impact in our 2025 Annual Report.

Margaret Hagan details how the unique and collaborative conditions at a recent IAALS convening led to the creation of a new debt court model.

In a time when public trust in institutions is fraying, IAALS remains steady in its dedication to people-centered solutions that improve how civil justice functions.

Over the past year, judges faced an unprecedented number of threats. Minimizing these attacks as just another indication of our polarized society is shortsighted.

At IAALS’ recent judicial webinar, judges learned strategies to effectively enact change and collaborated to improve their courthouses.

In 2025, IAALS connected experts and leaders to help build innovative solutions that address the most pressing challenges facing our justice system.

The Uncomplicated Courts Initiative provides a national blueprint to simplify high-volume court processes, integrate legal help, and build people-centered systems.

At IAALS' recent judicial webinar, judges stressed how critical communication and persistence are for judges trying to innovate in their courts.

Insights from A Blueprint for Judicial Innovation lay out how judges can be catalysts for change in their courts.

IAALS and the Berkeley Judicial Institute today released A Blueprint for Judicial Innovation, which offers concrete guidance for judges who are ready to drive people-centered reform across our justice system.

On Constitution Day, when the tendency is to wax poetic regarding the historic significance of our Constitution, we must be reminded of this living framework and its provision of both rights and responsibilities. We all have a role in ensuring the continued strength of our democracy.

The World Justice Forum 2025 in Warsaw, Poland, was a gathering of global leaders, jurists, and human rights champions who came together to confront the rising tide of authoritarianism and reverse the global rule of law recession. The event provided a space to share lessons learned and chart a path forward of hope and action.

The legal controversies surrounding many of the current administration's policy initiatives have included calls to impeach judges who have ruled against the government, and defenders of the judiciary frequently have characterized these events as attacks on the rule of law.

IAALS has released recommendations for modernizing judicial performance evaluation, including a set of reforms designed to help states strengthen judicial accountability, promote public trust, and ensure the courts meet the needs of today’s society.

The path to justice runs through IAALS. At every level, we are making our system more just—and our work puts our core values into practice. Read our 2024 Annual Report.

Today, the promise of our justice system is under siege. We face unprecedented attacks on the judiciary, attacks that aren’t just political, but fundamental. Collective action is needed not only to defend the rule of law, but to improve our justice system for all.

As we begin 2025, IAALS is poised to make our biggest gains to date as we work to bring better access to our justice system for everyone. We have laid the groundwork for innovations across many states and sectors of our system—due in large part to people like you, our partners and colleagues.

In November, IAALS brought together 23 experts to discuss regulating AI in the delivery of consumer-facing legal services, its fourth in a series of convenings designed to align industry leaders around strategies to unlock legal regulation.

Lifetime tenure has been the source of controversy in recent years, and fixed, 18-year terms have become the most frequently proposed alternative.