News & Updates

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.

Of the races on the ballot in the May Democratic primary elections, the two supreme court races are the most expensive so far, with the six candidates having spent $1.4 million.

In October 2020, IAALS published its groundbreaking report on the 12 building blocks of minimum competence to be a lawyer, our 5 insights for assessment, and our 10 recommendations for better legal licensing—with the goal of improving the bar exam and the overall licensing process. Here, we cover the first three building blocks of minimum competence.

After reviewing the public comments, and making some changes in response, the Iowa Supreme Court has approved a new expedited civil action rule (ECA rule) and a package of new rules and amendments collectively referred to as “the discovery amendments.” The changes will take effect January 1, 2015, as Iowa weeks to “significantly reduce litigation time and cost, while increasing access to justice."

The June 2012 edition of Selection Snapshots is now available.

IAALS submitted this comment to the Oregon State Bar Board of Governors in support of the Proposed Oregon Legal Paraprofessional Licensing Program. The program would authorize paraprofessionals to provide limited legal services—without attorney supervision—in family law and landlord-tenant matters.

We would like to extend our congratulations to Jon Streeter for his confirmation to California's First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco. He was sworn in on January 5. Jon has been a friend to IAALS for several years, working closely with Educating Tomorrow’s Lawyers. We are thrilled for him—and we look forward to seeing how his new perspective in the judicial branch informs his insights and leadership in legal education, and the evolution of the profession more broadly.

In the coming weeks, we will release two major publications. The first is Cornerstones of State Judicial Selection: Laying the Foundation for Quality Court Systems and Judges. This report begins by describing desired attributes of court systems and…

Brittany Kauffman has been chosen as IAALS' new CEO, effective immediately. Kauffman has been serving as interim CEO since May 2022, and previously served as a senior director overseeing IAALS' programmatic strategy, projects, and research.

In a recent article, Professor Clare Huntington argues for family law reforms that address the “seismic shift” occurring in American families. Today, more and more children are born to unmarried parents. To date, the legal system has not been responsive in adapting to this shift and fostering more beneficial co-parenting partnerships.

The latest edition of Rule One Review is now available. Rule One Review is a quarterly newsletter that shares information about pilot projects and other civil rules projects being monitored by the Rule One Initiative. Sign up for Rule One Review and…

Last week, IAALS gathered with partners and friends for our 15th Annual Rebuilding Justice Award Dinner, celebrating the year’s awardees and recognizing our collective efforts to build a more inclusive justice system.

The 52nd Annual Conference of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) is taking place this week in New Orleans, and representatives from IAALS will be taking part in the discussions. The conference, Children in the Court System…

A thirteen-member judicial commission overturned a lower disciplinary panel that issued a cease-and-desist order against a Democratic supreme court candidate and former court of appeals judge, who identified himself as a judge several times in a campaign brochure. According to the commission, the statements were misleading but not false under the state’s code of judicial conduct.

Several groundbreaking legal technology companies, including Rasa Legal and ZAF, were recently highlighted at the American Legal Technology Awards. Their work would not have been possible without the establishment of Utah’s regulatory sandbox.

he Quality Judges Initiative at IAALS, along with Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and other members of our advisory committee, has been reaching out to governors of these states to urge them to use nominating commissions when filling court openings that occur between scheduled elections. These vacancy nominating commissions invite applications for open positions, screen and interview the candidates who apply, and recommend a short list of the best qualified to the governor for appointment.

Of the 14 applicants for a supreme court vacancy, the judicial nominating commission voted to interview nine, including three Democrats. This was the most Democrats to make it to the interview stage and could have provided the largest number of nominees from which to choose of three vacancies that Governor Brewer has filled.

IAALS has released the results of an eight-state survey of 658 judges on judicial performance evaluation, providing key insights into judges' perspectives on the process. New national recommendations for JPE enhancements are coming later in 2024.

When spending in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court election surged to more than $16.5 million this month, it set a new record in U.S. history. Although, while it was record-breaking, this election was no aberration. Its sky-high spending, ad war among special interests, and dominance by candidates who spent the most all fit into a pattern.