News & Updates

In May 2021, amendments to the Utah Rules of Civil Procedure went into effect, several of which provide better notice of parties’ rights and obligations at the outset and throughout a lawsuit. The rule amendments are also paired with forms that include notice of rights in plain language and in multiple languages.

The outcome of governors' races in at least two states—Florida and Kansas—will have meaningful implications for those states' courts. Florida's next governor could have the opportunity to fill four of seven seats on the supreme court. In Kansas, the gubernatorial candidates have a fundamental area of disagreement involving how state supreme court justices should be chosen.

As the Director of Custom Program, Training and Curriculum for NITA, Terre Rushton (also a member of our Advisory Committee) helps firms address their professional development needs. NITA's learning-by-doing programs are known for developing the fundamental skills (core competencies) that clients expect from associates.

Under many states’ current regulatory framework, a lawyer is the only option when it comes to addressing legal issues. Fortunately, however, a number of states are looking beyond lawyers—to limited licensed paraprofessionals, lay advocates, court navigators, and other types of allied legal professionals—in order to close the justice gap. And that number is growing.  

One of the current proposed amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure addresses preservation of electronically stored information (ESI). The new proposed Rule 37(e) provides a safe harbor against penalties if a party has taken “reasonable steps” to preserve the ESI. Tom Allman, a retired General Counsel and current Adjunct Professor who frequently writes and speaks on this topic, has written an article discussing the “reasonable steps” language and its implications.

Although Chief Justice Castille requested in early May that Governor Corbett hold off making any judicial appointments until 2013 for budget reasons, Corbett announced six nominees for county and municipal court vacancies. Several days earlier, the governor had nominated his chief of staff to another judicial vacancy.

The American Bar Association Center for Innovation has released the inaugural issue of the Innovation Trends Report, which explores innovation within the ABA, in legal technology, and in legal regulatory reform.

On March 12, retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor was inducted in the Arizona Women's Hall of Fame as a Living Legacy. Justice O'Connor was raised on a ranch near Duncan, Arizona, and was selected for her “decades of work as a judge and her legacy as the first woman appointed to the nation's highest court."

Incumbent Justice David Medina was defeated in the July 31 runoff for the Republican spot on the November ballot by challenger John Devine, a former trial court judge who has run for six political offices since 1994. Devine raised ethical concerns about Medina and touted his own anti-abortion activism in his grassroots campaign

A new report from the NCSC and IAALS highlights how enforcing court rules that require expedited actions can improve fairness, cost, and efficiency in the civil justice system while also relieving case backlogs exacerbated by the pandemic.

On February 25-26, 2016, IAALS will hold its Fourth Civil Justice Reform Summit: Creating the Just, Speedy, and Inexpensive Courts of Tomorrow. The Summit will provide an opportunity to discuss the challenges of implementing change and chart the next steps for creating the just, speedy, and inexpensive courts of tomorrow.

The state supreme court denied Justice Joan Orie Melvin’s request to intervene in her criminal case and have it heard by an out-of-county judge. Justice Melvin, who is charged with using court staff to assist in her 2003 and 2009 supreme court campaigns, argued that a key prosecution witness is married to an Allegheny County judge and that the case may be too complex for a local district judge.

Data from current ALP programs suggests that concerns about consumer protection are largely unfounded. Expanding these programs can deliver competent legal help to countless individuals who lack access to traditional legal services.

On August 20 and 21, the multidisciplinary Honoring Families Initiative (HFI) Advisory Committee convened in Denver. The meeting agenda included in-depth discussion of preliminary data collected over the last several months as part of the HFI Cases Without Counsel (CWC) project.

New Mexico Supreme Court Justice Patricio M. Serna will retire August 31, 2012. He has served on the Court since 1996 and was elected by his colleagues to serve a two-year term as Chief Justice, from 2001 through 2002. Justice Serna has served on IAALS' Board of Advisors since our beginning in 2006.

Around a third of American households live just above the poverty line, facing financial struggles yet ineligible for many social services such as free legal aid. Initiatives like the Above the Line Network aim to improve access to affordable legal assistance for these underserved communities.

A wave of new amendments to the federal rules of civil procedure will take effect Tuesday, Dec. 1, sparking cultural and operational changes to the nation’s legal system. Approved last April by the U.S. Supreme Court, the amendments are intended to refocus the legal community on providing a just, speedy, and less expensive resolution in litigation for every case.

From three finalists named by the judicial nominating commission, Governor Daniels appointed county court judge Loretta Rush to the supreme court. This appointment leaves only two states (Idaho and Iowa) without a woman on the highest court.

IAALS has released Building Bridges: Guidelines for Creating Reciprocity between Allied Legal Professional Programs, a first-of-its-kind report offering detailed recommendations for how states can enable ALPs to transfer their credentials across state lines.

Over the last decade, it has been a great pleasure to work with IAALS on efforts to improve our legal process and to change our legal culture. Chief Justice John Roberts devoted his recent  “2015 Year-End Report on the Federal Judiciary” to a discussion of the groundbreaking amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The Chief Justice began with a description of the practice of dueling in the early 1800s and the public disgust with this means of dispute resolution that led to a wider use of the courts for resolving disputes. And, he alluded to a similar distaste for modern litigation practices characterized by “antagonistic tactics, wasteful procedural maneuvers, and teetering brinksmanship” for “wearing down opponents with creatively burdensome discovery requests or evading legitimate requests through dilatory tactics.” Clearly, there is growing recognition that we are ripe for a change in legal culture.