News & Updates

A recent poll revealed that many judges are comfortable with self-represented litigants—but still face significant challenges. IAALS has tools to help judges adapt to changing norms and ensure fairness, fostering a respectful courtroom experience.

In a recent NCSC article, Innovative Courts Encourage Dissent, Judge Kevin Burke of Hennepin County, Minnesota, discussed the benefits of fostering the right forms of dissent in the courthouse. Judge Burke, a member of the IAALS Board of Advisors, acknowledged that "embracing dissent in a courthouse is not easy."

A district court candidate involved in a Republican runoff has taken the rare step of rejecting the voluntary campaign spending limits enacted by the Judicial Campaign Fairness Act of 1995. The built-in incentive to follow the limits is that, once one candidate refuses to comply, the other candidates in the race are no longer bound.

Stacey Marz discusses the importance of simplifying processes, IAALS’ people-centered approach, and her love of wild places. The wide breadth of IAALS’ partnerships is integral to our work, and we’re excited to showcase our board members’ dedication and expertise.

Multiple states have recently amended their divorce laws in order to expedite the process and facilitate better, more cooperative outcomes for couples parting ways. While none of the reforms contain drastic or sweeping change, they are the first…

The state Republican Party chair called for voters to remove one of four supreme court justices standing for retention in November. Justice David Wiggins participated in the 2009 unanimous ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in the state, and three of his colleagues lost their bids for retention in 2010.

Sam Walker, Executive in Residence at the Office of the Colorado Attorney General, will be IAALS' inaugural Founders Award recipient. This honor is reserved for individuals who have made significant and sustained contributions to IAALS and its mission to unlock innovations that make our civil justice system more just.

Throughout the month of December, we've been releasing the 16 Ignite-style presentations given at our 4th Annual Educating Tomorrow’s Lawyers Conference by ETL Fellows and faculty from across the ETL Consortium. The short videos cover an array of issues, from the innovations and outcomes of law school classes, programs, or curricula, to innovations within the realm of legal education more broadly.

Jeanne Teleia, a marriage and family therapist, told the North Hawaii News that conflict in divorce is damaging to children, but that help is available to mitigate the worst and most prevalent side effects. She encourages parents to commit to a child-centered divorce where parents put their anger aside, resulting in less stress and energy spent, fewer expenses, and less damage inflicted upon the children.

On April 21, IAALS—the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System at the University of Denver—will hold its annual Rebuilding Justice Award Dinner. The award recognizes individuals who exemplify the spirit of innovation and leadership that IAALS champions across all of our work toward building a legal system that is fair, accessible, reliable, efficient, and accountable.

A radio ad funded by the American Justice Partnership highlights “eyebrow-raising” real estate transactions by a sitting justice who is not running for reelection, and a mailing from the Michigan Republican Party suggests that the Democratic supreme court candidates do not care about the potential mortgage fraud.

Updates to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and a rising crop of tech savvy attorneys have Magistrate Judge John M. Facciola (Ret.) of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia optimistic about the future of e-discovery.

Incumbent justice Robert Cupp asked the state Republican Party to pull an ad describing his election opponent as sympathetic to rapists based on his past opinions as a court of appeals judge.

The Iowa Supreme Court Family Law Case Processing Reform Task Force recently submitted its final report to the Iowa Supreme Court, concluding a year-long study of the family law court system in Iowa. The Task Force report includes a comprehensive list of recommendations for the Iowa Supreme Court’s consideration, including develop a statewide mediation program for family law cases and identifying barriers to using and encouraging the use of unbundled legal services.

In an interview with Parade Magazine, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, Honorary Chair of the Advisory Committee to the Quality Judges Initiative, discusses why approval ratings for the U.S. Supreme Court justices have fallen, stressing that the public's broken confidence in the courts is due to misconceptions that the Court should base their decisions on political and personal beliefs rather than on the law.

At a point when public mistrust of the government seems to be at an all-time high, a recent survey conducted by the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) shows that public opinion of at least one branch of government is trending in the right…

During the week of December 3, the U.S. Senate confirmed four nominees for district court judgeships in Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, and Michigan. This is unexpected progress in light of disagreement among Republican senators over whether to take any action in this arena during the lame-duck session.

LawWeek Colorado interviewed Educating Tomorrow's Lawyers Director Bill Sullivan about the initiative's goals: “It will give people some models and examples and a community of people to talk to,” Sullivan said. “That’s what’s been missing. It’s not so much there’s no one doing these kinds of comprehensive changes, it’s that no one’s sure who’s doing it.”

When Edgar Barraza came to the United States as an 11-year-old undocumented immigrant in 1998 the odds seemed stacked against him. He spoke little English, his family had to work hard for everything they had, and state and federal scholarships for…

Alabama has passed legislation, SB 47 (Act 2012-492), which requires the Alabama Supreme Court to adopt expedited trial procedures for cases in circuit court where the amount in controversy does not exceed $50,000. In contrast, Louisiana also passed legislation, HCR 81, which requests the Louisiana State Law Institute study jury trial procedures and make recommendations for an expedited or summary jury trial program.