News & Updates

Last month, a bill was introduced in the Colorado Senate that would make text-message reminders to criminal and juvenile defendants required by law. More and more, courts are embracing technology as a way of keeping people navigating the justice system up to date.

With the new year comes reflections on the past, and predictions for the future. This is equally true in the world of e-discovery, and there are many commentators around the country who are taking this opportunity to reflect on the highlights of 2014 and make predictions for 2015. As for our predictions? We know changing the way the civil justice system operates is a function of changing Rules, case flow management procedures, and culture.

The state election commission voted to postpone consideration of whether the “rescue funds” provision of the public financing pilot program for supreme court candidates survived a 2011 U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down a similar provision in Arizona’s program, reasoning that the provision has not yet come into play in this year’s races.

This November, thousands of judges across 38 states find themselves on the ballot, and there is reason to believe that this year judicial races will capture more voter attention than usual.

The Texas Lawyer recently reported on Texas’ downward trend in civil lawsuits, which have dropped 17 percent over the last 10 years. The change in numbers presents many questions, with different perspectives as to the cause on all sides. Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht has said that the state’s judiciary must delve further into the statistics to find answers.

Governor Christie nominated a sitting superior court judge, and former federal and state prosecutor, to the supreme court. In recent months, two Christie nominees have been rejected by the senate judiciary committee. Christie’s only other supreme court nominee waited one year before being confirmed by the legislature.

The largest regulator of solicitors and law firms in England and Wales recently published a report examining the potential of unbundled legal services to improve access to justice, citing benefits to lawyers and their clients.

The new Idaho Rules of Family Law Procedure (IRFLP)will go into effect statewide today.  Several Judicial Districts have opted to implement the rules prior to this date. The new IRFLP are designed “to assist both lawyers and SRL’s by reorganizing all rules that apply in family law cases . . . in a complete and logical matter that is easier to use by all.”

For Governor Dayton’s first appointment to the supreme court, the judicial selection commission nominated four candidates, including a U.S. attorney and three judges. The vacancy was created by Justice Helen Meyer’s retirement.

Throughout the past year, IAALS has been at the forefront of advancing justice by broadening access to legal assistance, rethinking regulation, and redefining legal licensure. As we step into 2024, we remain dedicated to bringing about transformative change within the justice system.

This summer, the legal community lost a giant: Don Scott. Don was a Harvard undergraduate and Yale law graduate whose practice began and grew under the aegis of Kirkland and Ellis. In 1993, Don, Fred Bartlit, Phil Beck, Skip Herman, Jim Palenchar…

The state AFL-CIO endorsed the Republican candidate for chief justice, Roy Moore. Though the organization usually backs Democratic candidates, its president said that Moore has a record of “treating the average person fairly in court.” Moore has also received $55,000 in contributions to date from plaintiff attorneys.

Judges hold a uniquely powerful position within the justice system, making their leadership crucial for meaningful reform. To drive lasting change, we need leaders who not only address current challenges but also proactively design a system that anticipates and meets future needs.

Recently, IAALS Executive Director Rebecca Love Kourlis and I met with the other members and staff of the Conference of Chief Justices Civil Justice Improvements Committee for its fourth plenary meeting in Washington, D.C. The committee is evaluating civil justice improvement efforts around the country and developing guidelines and best practices for civil litigation, as well as caseflow management.

A group known as The Do Good Dads Against Unjust Judges is challenging the retention of three local judges. The group takes issue with the judges’ rulings in cases involving child custody, adoptions, and child abuse, among others. The group is also pursuing legislative changes and better training for attorneys who handle custody cases.

Utah's legal regulatory sandbox was designed to open the door to new kinds of legal service providers and business structures, including entities with nonlawyer ownership and nonlawyer practitioners, who could offer legal services to the public. IAALS has now completed our interim evaluation, with findings published across a four-part report series covering background, process evaluation, outcomes evaluation, and social return on investment analysis.

In a recent opinion piece, Judge Daniel E. Ramczyk emphasizes the importance and benefits of New Mexico’s judicial selection and retention process, and in particular the role that the Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission (JPEC) plays in providing valuable feedback to judges as well as to the citizens who vote for them.

Justice Christine Durham has been on the Utah Supreme Court since 1982, and served as Chief Justice from 2002 to 2012. As we launch IAALS Online, she joins three other former Chief Justices in the conversation about IAALS and its initiatives by discussing the work of our Educating Tomorrow's Lawyers Initiative. "There are widespread conversations occurring about the future of lawyers and law schools. Current phenomena include dramatic decreases in legal sector jobs and a restructuring of the legal market that appears to be extremely durable. Changes in the way legal services are delivered are occurring rapidly, with on-line forms and guidance being increasingly utilized by consumers. Educating Tomorrow's Lawyers is a project grounded in the faith that “knowledge, practice and professionalism” will remain the touchstone for the role of lawyers in a future that is likely to look much different from the past."

When the Supreme Court of Missouri in January 2008 adopted a rule authorizing The Missouri Bar to create and administer the state’s first true judicial performance evaluation program, the state bar was faced with a very tight timeframe for implementation and a seemingly endless set of questions. How and where do we start? How should the evaluation be conducted? What form should the survey instrument take? What information should be considered by evaluators?

Challengers to two incumbent supreme court justices questioned their campaign financing practices. One of the challengers promised to recuse himself from cases involving contributors, while the other has raised no money.