News & Updates

For states looking to implement or improve an allied legal professional program, IAALS' new report provides best practices regarding considerations like titles, practice areas, roles and responsibilities, and attorney supervision.

Each state with an allied legal professional program has its own unique qualifications to become licensed, but one thing all programs share is that the requirements are robust. Data shows ALPs competently handle legal tasks and prioritize consumer protection, ultimately increasing access to justice.

IAALS has published a new report summarizing discussions held at our groundbreaking convening and proposing next steps for regulatory innovation. It serves as a call to action for exploring and implementing innovative ways of delivering legal services nationwide.

The Supreme Court’s recent affirmative action ruling will undoubtedly impact law school admissions and legal hiring. Now, more than ever, efforts to improve equity and inclusion are crucial for creating a more diverse legal profession.

The demand for affordable and accessible legal services is resoundingly clear. As allied legal professional programs gain momentum, they are undeniably reshaping the legal profession—even in the face of resistance from some attorneys.

Legal Aid of North Carolina is set to launch Innovation Lab, which aims to improve access to justice through technology integration, data collection, and collaboration. The Lab reflects a broader movement towards transformative approaches in the legal sector that emphasize evidence-based innovation and improved service delivery.

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.

IAALS has released a report that includes multiple research-informed recommendations to help standardize a new tier of legal professionals across states, with the goal of increasing the options for accessible and affordable legal help for the public.

Last week, IAALS gathered with partners and friends for our 15th Annual Rebuilding Justice Award Dinner, celebrating the year’s awardees and recognizing our collective efforts to build a more inclusive justice system.

The Colorado Supreme Court has approved a program to license a new tier of legal service providers, who will be able to practice in certain types of family law matters such as divorce, custody, and protection orders.  

The North Carolina Justice for All Project, created in 2020 to expand access to justice through regulatory reform, is a testament to the power of advocacy and the potential for individuals to drive change.

Over the course of its history, IAALS has sparked undeniable momentum to change the status quo. Read more about our work to reshape our justice system in our 2022 Annual Report.

In Ontario, paralegals have established themselves to be competent legal service providers in many practice areas and are now entrenched in the legal services landscape. Here's what the United States can learn from our experience.

In January, the inaugural Legal Paraprofessional Summit brought together active and future legal paraprofessionals, as well as leaders from a number of states, to learn about the different components of each state’s ALP program and the steps Arizona took to create its program.

Allied legal professional programs have the potential to diversify the legal services market and create more cost-effective legal service models, and they should be created as an important part of a broader legal service ecosystem.

Natalie Knowlton, Zack DeMeola, and several other friends of IAALS made the ABA Journal's 2023 Class of Legal Rebels, recognizing their efforts to push the legal system and profession forward.

IAALS' work as a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to improving the civil justice system through data-driven solutions has never been more critical than it is right now. I am proud of this organization and what we have accomplished this year—and I also know we have much work to do in 2023.

The Yale Law Journal recently featured the growing debate on regulatory reform. In part two of a two-part series, we recap Ralph Baxter's arguments that reforms are necessary to meaningfully address the access to justice crisis.

The Yale Law Journal recently featured the growing debate on regulatory reform. In part one of a two-part series, we recap Stephen Younger's arguments that nonlawyer ownership won't solve the access to justice crisis.

IAALS has released a landscape report along with an accompanying online Knowledge Center that offer a compilation and comparison of existing programs nationwide for establishing new tiers of legal professionals who can provide legal services to the public.