News & Updates

Recognizing that there is widespread concern that the civil justice system is too complex, costs too much, and takes too long, a new report provides recommendations for designing short, summary, and expedited (“SSE”) programs and calls for implementation of such programs on a national scale. The report, A Return to Trials: Implementing Effective Short, Summary, and Expedited Civil Action Programs, is co-authored by IAALS, ABOTA, and the NCSC.

On August 30th, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania introduced a new Pilot Program designed to expedite civil cases filed in that district. Modeled loosely on the Northern District of California's program, the Pennsylvania District's Pilot Program is aimed at relatively simple civil cases, which do not require lengthy and expensive pretrial and trial proceedings.

The Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS) at the University of Denver today applauds the Colorado Supreme Court for approving the Colorado Civil Access Pilot Project. This visionary step forward joins a national trend among states committed to improving the delivery of court services and giving plaintiffs and defendants access to a just, speedy and inexpensive court system.