News & Updates

The Chicago Bar Association and Chicago Bar Foundation Task Force on the Sustainable Practice of Law and Innovation is one of the latest groups to issue a set of recommendations that seek to address the growing disconnect between the public’s legal needs and the lawyers who can serve them. The task force is accepting public comment on these recommendations through August 21.

From coast to coast and everywhere in between, we have collected stories from real people who share IAALS' passion for and dedication to a legal system that is accessible, trustworthy, relevant, and responsive. Their personal accounts of impact are woven throughout our 2013 Annual Report along with a detailed account of our accomplishments in the past year, which set the stage for an ambitious future slate of projects.

Educating Tomorrow's Lawyers adds two new partners to its Consortium of law schools that demonstrate a commitment to legal education reform and current Carnegie-style curricular offerings. Albany Law School has a long-established focus on student…

On the whole, 2020 was a quiet time for state judicial elections, at least in comparison to recent years. Fewer sitting judges were directly targeted for removal, and most of the efforts to oust judges failed at the ballot box. But even quiet years have standout moments, and the recent election cycle brought several noteworthy developments.

With Tennessee's August 7 judicial retention elections just over two weeks away, the TV ad war is escalating. According to the latest figures, the Tennessee Forum has spent nearly $120,000 on an anti-retention TV ad, while campaigns supporting the justices' retention have spent just over $200,000 on television advertising.

A judicial selection task force made seven recommendations and offered draft legislation to improve the process for selecting supreme court justices. Recommendations including nominating candidates in open primaries rather than through party conventions, full disclosure of campaign spending, and the use of a vacancy nominating commission to fill judicial vacancies between elections.

This month, IAALS and its partners kicked off the Redesigning Legal Speaker Series with a panel exploring how judicial leadership can play a critical role in expanding access to legal services and access to justice. The panelists discussed the status of regulatory innovation, how courts and others are seeking to address the problems, and why state supreme courts and the organized bar must start forging solutions now.

“Big dreams, hard work, and serendipity” are the words Judge Christine M. Arguello would use to describe how she achieved her professional successes as a lawyer and judge. But, she also acknowledges the help of various mentors and the support of academic institutions throughout her career. In order to help the next generation, Judge Arguello founded Law School - Si Se Puede, a pipeline program that advances inclusiveness in the legal profession.

The content of fliers used in a trial court judge's reelection campaign raised ethical concerns, leading some to call for an inquiry by the state commission on judicial conduct. The fliers tout recent decisions in which the judge sided with oil drillers against the EPA and feature images of Rush Limbaugh.

The second two Paths to Justice convenings and webinars, focused on access to justice, brought together diverse perspectives and partners to discuss how we utilize key data from our US Justice Needs survey to drive action and system improvement, followed by an issue paper highlighting outcomes and key takeaways.

This week, January 8-9, 2015, the Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure will meet in Phoenix, Arizona. The December 2, 2014, Report from the Advisory Committee on Civil Rules notes that substantial time has been given to "exploring the possibilities of enhancing rules reform by means of pilot projects that put possible new rules into actual practice," and supplemental resources for the meeting suggest that discussion of pilot projects will only continue.

In the sole supreme court race this fall, both the incumbent and the challenger have qualified for public financing, but a super PAC known as N.C. Judicial Coalition has formed to support the incumbent. The election will determine whether the 4-3 balance on the court will tilt in favor of conservative or liberal justices.

It was the founders’ vision that we establish a more perfect union, with justice first and foremost in achieving that goal. To do this, we must rebuild our justice system to ensure that people’s needs are realized in an accessible, fair, equitable, and accountable way.

The Women's Legal Centre ACT (Australian Capital Territory), in the Australian capital of Canberra, has opened a divorce clinic for women from diverse cultural backgrounds. The clinic provides free legal advice and representation to women in troubled marriages who may encounter issues navigating the Australian legal system.

Supporters of a ballot measure that would alter the composition of the nominating commission for appellate court vacancies are unhappy with the issue summary prepared by the secretary of state’s office and plan to file a lawsuit. The proposed amendment’s sponsor describes part of the summary as “flat-out untrue” and calls the secretary of state a “dishonest broker of partisan politics.”

In April, the Colorado Access to Justice Commission released a strategic vision report, which outlines its two-year plan to advance access to justice throughout the state.

This month, IAALS will convene a group of plaintiffs’ attorneys from Colorado and around the country to discuss the present and future impact of civil justice reform in the United States. We look to others for input on how best to implement the upcoming changes and what culture shifts are necessary to achieve the intended positive impact, and have held a number of convenings this spring to gather input.

Regent University School of Law, the newest partner of Educating Tomorrow's Lawyers, integrates some form of professional identity development in nearly all courses. During their time at Regent, students continually revisit the question, 'What Kind…

For states looking to implement or improve an allied legal professional program, IAALS' new report provides best practices regarding considerations like fee sharing, regulatory requirements, and program costs.

The California State Bar recently issued a final opinion weighing in on the question of an attorney’s ethical duties in handling the discovery of electronically stored information. In its Formal Opinion No. 2015-193, the State Bar of California…