News & Updates

Inspired by the spirit of a holiday devoted to love, the New York Times’ Room for Debate editorial board hosted a lively discussion that asks: “Should a divorce be more difficult to obtain? Or is the process arduous enough already?" Beverly Willett, a writer, lawyer, and co-chair of the Coalition for Divorce objects to the “me-centered approach” that she claims no-fault divorce laws have fostered. She is countered by Vicki Larson, a journalist who writes about marriage and divorce.

State courts, which carry millions of cases per year across the country, are increasingly being targeted by state legislatures looking to make cuts. Click here to read the article.

Technology has radically altered how legal help is sought—and how it is delivered—yet there is still an overwhelming need for affordable and accessible legal services in the United States. This gulf can only be bridged when attorneys adopt new ways of approaching the practice of law and the delivery of legal services.

The Business Insider has compiled a list of the 9 most costly cities for divorcees. The list considered each city's average fee rate for divorce attorneys in addition to the financial impact of each state's different spousal support laws, asset division procedures, filing fees, and average divorce process periods.

Governor Hickenlooper ultimately chose a state trial court judge to fill the seat. The governor reported making his decision on the basis of conversations with sitting justices, diverse legal groups, business groups, and public officials.

Mary McQueen is a leader and a visionary. Mary and I first met many, many years ago—when she was the State Court Administrator in Washington and I was on the Colorado Supreme Court. By the time I started IAALS, she had become the President of the National Center for State Courts. She was one of the first people I reached out to, because I saw so many natural partnerships that we could forge between IAALS and the National Center—and indeed we have.

Senators Ron Johnson (R) and Tammy Baldwin (D) have agreed to a restructuring of the commission that has been used in Wisconsin since 1979 to advise senators in recommending potential candidates for federal judge and prosecutor vacancies in the state. They have agreed to share the appointment authority equally, with each appointing three to a six-member commission.

Christie campaigned for Republican state legislators, who are up for reelection in November, on the issue of “elitist judges.” Christie plans to propose a constitutional amendment to bypass the ruling.

We have never been busier at IAALS, with projects and convenings ramping up across all of our focus areas. To help facilitate this work and expand our impact nationwide, we are pleased to welcome three new staff members to our ranks. Jonna Perlinger joined IAALS in March as a legal assistant, and Michael Houlberg and Jason Zolle joined IAALS in June as managers.

Less than a week after the supreme court struck down a civil justice reform measure known as the Comprehensive Lawsuit Reform Act of 2009, some state legislators called for a study of term limits for appellate judges. According to House Speaker T.W. Shannon, it is lawmakers' duty to monitor the government's balance of power, but other legislators described the study as retaliation for the recent decision and other unpopular rulings.

A U.S. bankruptcy judge was rebuked by a disciplinary committee of the Federal Judicial Conference for his longtime membership in a country club that has no black or women voting members. The judge is retiring at the end of the year.

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Karen Mathis is leaving IAALS at the end of this month. Karen has been the Associate Executive Director of IAALS since 2012, and prior to that, she served on IAALS’ Board of Advisors. Under her guidance, IAALS has come of age.

Richard Gabriel recently penned an article for CNN following the conclusion of the George Zimmerman trial, in which he referenced several reports that examine potential biases in the justice system. Among them was IAALS’ Leveling the Playing Field: Gender, Ethnicity, and Judicial Performance Evaluation, which explores whether there is evidence that implicit biases enter into evaluations of judges’ performances.

The American Bar Association's Legal Education Section has approved changes to what is required of law schools when reporting job placement information. The changes will "expand the level of detail of graduate employment data law schools must report…

 In an article for The Atlantic, Deborah Copaken gives us an unvarnished account of what it is like to go through the divorce process without a lawyer and exposes the difficulties faced by many litigants who choose to represent themselves in divorce court. 

In a 5-0 ruling, the Arizona Supreme Court struck down a law that required the state’s judicial nominating commission to send the names of five candidates to the governor for possible appointment. According to the court’s opinion, “the Legislature has no authority to statutorily mandate procedures inconsistent with Arizona's Constitution,” which allows commissions to give the governor as few as three names.

Two Democratic legislators sponsored a bill to establish public financing for supreme court elections.

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.

In a recent article for The Recorder, Rachel Van Cleave, dean of Golden Gate University School of Law, an Educating Tomorrow’s Lawyers Consortium School, champions the efforts of ETL and its collaborative approach to changing legal education. Dean Van Cleave suggests that experiential learning opportunities, like clinics and simulation courses, can be expanded even further to give students a more well-rounded education that exposes them to broader skill sets that are sought by law firms.

Sofia Adrogué, partner at Looper, Reed & McGraw, and Caroline Baker, a state district judge for more than 14 years, predict that e-discovery will continue to loom large in 2012. With continued reliance on e-discovery forecasted, activity, and debate…