News & Updates

In her final post as Executive Director, Rebecca Love Kourlis discusses the public’s low trust and confidence in the American legal system. IAALS will be rolling out the results of its research in the area over the next few months, and begins with three papers, which together kick off a part of the conversation IAALS calls “Are We at a Boiling Point?”

In the first-ever, broad-based research of its kind, IAALS is partnering with HiiL to assess the justice needs of people and businesses in the United States. The issue of access to justice is broader and deeper in our society than has historically been recognized. What we learn will provide the insight we need to reform the American legal system and tailor services to meet the needs of all users.

With heavy hearts we share the news of IAALS Senior Director Alli Gerkman’s passing after a long battle with cancer. There are no words that can adequately convey who Alli was—and who she was to us. Alli was a force of nature. She was a captivating presence and was remarkable in her ability to connect with others. Alli knew how to get things done and how to make things work. She knew what it meant to work hard and to laugh harder. She was a teammate and a friend. And she has left an incredible legacy.

From smartphones to video conferencing, there are numerous technology options that are simple, effective, and could make a great deal of difference in court users' experiences. IAALS' Eighteen Ways Courts Should Use Technology to Better Serve Their Customers explores some of these options and their potential impact on our civil justice system. 

Between 2016 and 2018, 11 states were awarded grants under the Justice for All Initiative. Now they've completed their strategic planning processes and are ready to begin the implementation phase, with common themes among plans being use of technology, strong governanance, and internal and external communications. 

Based on IAALS' model for out-of-court divorce, the Family Resolutions Specialty Court in Massachusetts helps parents of minor children work through issues related to divorce, separation, paternity, and more—and keeps the focus on the best interests of the child.

Innovations in the delivery of legal services can also be laboratories for testing innovations in legal education. Many innovations in education spring from the IAALS out-of-court divorce model and had an effect on the law students who participated in the on-campus center that provided the services.

Nevada, which directly elects nearly all of its state judges, has never implemented an official judicial performance evaluation program. Instead, between 1992 and 2013, the state’s largest newspaper conducted its own surveys of attorneys in Clark County regarding judges seeking reelection until their survey methodology came under sharp criticism. Now the surveys are set to return, with some significant retooling.

​In June, the National Center for States Courts released the second in a series of evaluations of civil justice reform demonstration pilot projects around the country. The report details efforts in the 22nd Judicial Circuit of Illinois, located in McHenry County, where the pilot primarily focused on implementing civil case management teams, tools, technology, and the pathways approach.

As thousands prepare to sit for the bar exam, IAALS is spearheading an empirical effort to define the minimum competence they need to practice law and to ensure the fairness, efficacy, and validity of the bar exam itself.

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.

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.

IAALS is pleased to announce that Kelsey Montague has joined the organization as its new Associate Director of Marketing and Public Relations. Kelsey has spent her career developing robust marketing and media campaigns and social media strategies to help raise awareness and foster impact.

In April 2019, the California State Auditor filed her report on an investigation into the Commission on Judicial Performance, the state's judicial conduct body. There is growing interest nationally in judicial misconduct and the entities in each state (and federally) that investigate complaints, and in 2018, IAALS prepared its own Recommendations for Judicial Discipline Systems.

The National Center for States Courts has released the first in a series of evaluations of civil justice reform demonstration pilot projects around the country. The pilot, in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, focused on implementing civil case management teams (CCMTs)—an innovative court staffing model that delegates case management responsibilities across a team of judges and staff.

On April 29, Maine continued its efforts toward civil justice reform by conducting an all-day Civil Justice Reform Training Conference, designed to familiarize the state's justices, judges, and court staff with the establishment of three different case tracks and corresponding proposed amendments to Maine’s rules of civil procedure.

Ken has been with IAALS' Board of Advisors since 2015, and as an early supporter of our work in legal education, Ken has served the Board as a thoughtful, candid, and generous member. We thank him for his insight and many contributions over the years.

Technological advances in the legal field are growing around the world, but different countries are seeing that growth manifest at different speeds and in different ways. In Australia, legal technology is just beginning to explode, and very quickly.

A number of new smartphone apps aim to make the divorce process more collaborative and less adversarial. These apps encourage teamwork around parenting plans and help to keeps things civil by building stronger communication around important issues like events with children, scheduled appointments, childcare costs, and court dates.

It is no secret that divorce poses significant problems for those who go through the legal process. The adversarial nature of the legal process can put people at odds with one another and the courts are not well-positioned to provide emotional and future-planning support. IAALS has released a new report detailing the evaluation of our out-of-court model aimed at addressing these challenges for families with children.