News & Updates

For litigants without the help of an attorney, the American civil justice system can be difficult to understand—let alone navigate. In a recent piece for the ABA Journal, Chancellor Professor of Law Frederic I. Lederer proposed several technological advancements that can help improve access to legal resources and litigant understanding of the process.

The Tennessee legislature opted not to renew the state’s judicial nominating commission, and it is set to expire on June 30. Three appellate judges announced last week that they will not stand for retention in August 2014, with the expectation that the commission could screen applicants and nominate candidates to fill their vacancies before it ceases to exist in a few weeks. At least one legislator is concerned about setting the judicial selection process in motion more than a year before the vacancies occur.

In 2012, superior court judges in Pinal County will stand for retention rather than reelection. Because the county’s population now exceeds 250,000, its judges will now be included in the state’s merit selection, retention election, and performance evaluation program. Pinal County joins Maricopa County and Pima County.

A first of its kind study, this landscape report brings together national data from family cases that confirms what we have long known at IAALS: family courts must do more to focus on problem solving rather than rely on the traditional structure framed around an adversarial approach.

IAALS is pleased to welcome Barbara Blackwell as its Senior Development Director. In this role, Blackwell will be responsible for developing and implementing a strategic fundraising plan for IAALS’ short and long-term sustainability. Blackwell joins IAALS after a 25-year career in fundraising for nonprofits and higher education institutions.

Pundits are drawn to extremes. Perhaps that is simply the nature of things. But in the debate over the future of legal education, espousing extremes hinders the discussion. At one extreme are the loudest critics of the current state of legal education. At the other extreme are the defenders of the status quo. But at its core, this discussion draws a false dichotomy between theory and practice.

Alan Carlson has been a pivotal part of IAALS over the last few years, leading us on strategic planning, helping us with projects, and connecting us to new board members. Alan is the epitome of a can-do person, and we are incredibly fortunate to have had him as part of our board. 

Educating Tomorrow's Lawyers announces its second annual conference, which will focus on connecting the profession and the academy to ensure that law graduates are prepared to begin a career of service to clients, service to the legal system, and service to society. Conference participants will focus on how to design and deliver a modern legal education that educates lawyers to the highest standards of competence and professionalism.

This week, Bob Dorigo Jones, a senior fellow of Center for America, called Rebuilding Justice a "must-read" and discussed it in his "Let's Be Fair" weekly radio program.

Over the years, Marcus has brought support, enthusiasm, availability (always), respectfulness, and a gentle mien to IAALS. There are too few Marcuses in this world. IAALS was graced by his participation on our Board of Advisors and we are grateful.

According to a new poll, nearly nine in ten voters believe that judicial campaign support—whether in the form of direct contributions or independent spending—influences judicial decisions. This figure is a sharp increase from similar polls conducted over the last decade. These heightened concerns could be a reaction to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United or to a marked rise in judicial election spending, particularly by outside groups, in recent years.

In an article recapping the hearing before a House Judiciary panel on the growing costs of discovery, Eileen Malloy cites Rebecca Love Kourlis' testimony several times

Some lawyers have expressed concern that changes to the Model Rules of Professional Conduct will allow new players into the field, potentially reducing their income and/or taking their jobs. On the contrary, however, allowing new players in the business of legal services may make it possible for lawyers to scale their practices and enlarge the legal services pie for all.

We are excited to announce that two new law schools have joined the Educating Tomorrow’s Lawyers Consortium: Loyola University Chicago and Georgia State University. Members of the Consortium demonstrate significant institutional commitment to reforming legal education through innovation, which can include Carnegie-inspired teaching methods, student-centered instruction, and tackling the core competencies that new attorneys need to practice.

The February 2012 edition of Selection Snapshots is now available.

The ABA has created a task force to identify legal needs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and to make recommendations to address them. Meanwhile, state and federal courts continue to rapidly respond to the impacts of the virus. 

The Conference of Chief Justices has established a new committee that will evaluate civil justice improvement efforts around the country and develop guidelines and best practices for civil litigation, as well as case-flow management. The National Center for State Courts has also undertaken a research project to inform the committee's work. IAALS looks forward to working alongside NCSC to support the efforts of the committee.

A Republican member of the house of representatives filed resolutions calling for the impeachment of the four sitting justices who joined the Varnum v. Brien decision, but no action has been taken. The other three justices who joined the unanimous ruling lost their retention bids in 2010.

As the whole country grapples with reopening, our federal courts continue their own efforts to respond in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In recent weeks, we are seeing some federal courthouses slowly expand in-person proceedings as the judiciary also explores reconstituting jury trials.

Another voice has joined a growing chorus calling for more openness in the selection and evaluation of Hawaii's state court judges. Critics of the lack of transparency make some valid points about the need to shine more light on these vital processes, particularly when we consider how other states address this issue.