News & Updates

Scott Fruehwald at Legal Skills Prof Blog recently reviewed Contracts: A Context and Practice Casebook, authored by Michael Hunter Schwartz and Denise Riebe.

NCSC's 2019 Trends in State Courts explores various ways to make state court processes both more user-friendly and relevant, from newly developed apps providing people with access to legal advice to remote technology options providing better access to justice for self-represented litigants. 

The ETL survey found that many law schools have been making changes in their curricula, and among the prominent areas of change are the curricula in the second and third years of law school and the introduction or expansion of course work focused on practical skills (especially the creation of new clinics and certificate programs). We need research that looks at such programs in detail to see what difference, if any, that they make.

The governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house jointly proposed a constitutional amendment that would establish a merit selection and retention system for the state’s appellate judges. If approved by the legislature, the measure would go on the ballot in 2014. (A merit selection and retention system is currently in place, but it is statutorily based.)

More and more courts are working to address backlogged cases and court users' dissatisfaction. In just the last few months, several Midwestern courts have taken steps to introduce more technology into their courts, removing barriers that many litigants face, especially those who represent themselves.

In a recent article in The Colorado Lawyer, Judge Elizabeth Starrs gives practitioners insight from the bench, including helpful practice tips and an explanation of the Denver domestic relations process. Many of her observations suggest the benefits of a structured, in-court process for domestic relations disputes, with an emphasis on decreasing the adversarial nature of the proceedings—an approach also advocated by the Honoring Families Initiative.

A circuit court judge and former Republican is one of six candidates competing in the Democratic primary for a Cook County appellate court vacancy. With no Republican candidates, the Democratic primary will determine the winner of that seat and the other five Cook County appellate court seats.

In 2018, the NCBE created its Testing Task Force to conduct a three-year project that, in part, examines whether the bar exam is a valid measure of minimum competence to practice law. Last month, NCBE released a report detailing the findings of Phase 2, a national practice analysis, which will provide a foundation of data for bar exam reform.

As we strive to improve the American legal system, we do so in collaboration with some of the best minds in the country. It is through the expertise and guidance of these partners that we are able to forge innovative and practical solutions to the problems in our system. In short, our advisors make our work possible. As we begin 2014, we say farewell and a profound 'thank you' to two board members, and welcome two more who have taken up the mantle.

In the wake of the recent economic downturn and its aftermath, law schools and legal education are again the focus of intense scrutiny. Unfortunately, there is often more rhetoric than constructive discussion.

On June 25, IAALS and the University of Denver Sturm College of Law co-hosted a virtual discussion with William Henderson, law professor and an ABA Journal Legal Rebel, who laid out how and why the current legal regulatory system is no longer working and why state supreme courts are best positioned to pioneer new regulatory models.

On April 24, 2014, IAALS was pleased to host its 7th Annual Rebuilding Justice Award Dinner at the Ralph L. Carr Colorado Judicial Center in downtown Denver. The evening was capped by surprise video introductions for our esteemed honorees, filmed by their wives, who each told the story of their husband’s enduring passion and dedication from a uniquely personal perspective.

Justice Frank Sullivan announced his intention to step down by the end of August, allowing Governor Daniels to make his third appointment to the high court. It also presents another opportunity to appoint a woman to the all-male court.

In a groundbreaking report, IAALS, in partnership with Professor Deborah Merritt at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, has defined the minimum competence that new lawyers need to be qualified to practice law—and provides recommendations for how legal licensing processes like the bar exam must change to be more fair to bar applicants and to better protect the public.

In recent years, I have been distressed to see persistent efforts in some states to politicize the bench and the role of our judges. Working closely with IAALS and its Quality Judges Initiative, we have collaborated to promote processes for selecting and retaining state judges that inspire public trust in our courts and the integrity of their decisions. Today, I am pleased to share with you the O’Connor Judicial Selection Plan—our recommendations for protecting and strengthening the courts.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas has incorporated a Model Order Regarding E-Discovery In Patent Cases into its Local Rules as Appendix P. 

IAALS announced that it is awarding Anna E. Carpenter, Professor of Law and Director of Clinical Programs at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, the inaugural Alli Gerkman Legal Visionary Award. 

A recent article in The New York Times argues that divorced and never-married parents have, in a sense, lost their right to choose how they want to parent. While married parents get a level of discretion from the legal system, "[j]udges routinely decide where the children of divorced parents will attend school, worship and receive medical care." Why the difference in treatment between married parents and those who are divorcing or separating?

In the May 8 Democratic primary, an incumbent justice and a county attorney won the nomination. According to campaign finance reports filed at the end of April, the winning candidates were also the biggest spenders. The two Democratic candidates will face two Republican candidates, one of whom opted for public financing, in November.

Professor Anna Carpenter discusses her passion for access to justice, exciting developments in legal innovation, and what it means to receive the inaugural Alli Gerkman Legal Visionary Award.