News & Updates

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.

In a recent press release, The Justice at Stake Campaign (JAS) suggests changing spending patterns may indicate a new phase of judicial election spending. JAS reports campaign spending is expected to fall in states dominated by a single political party, while spending is expected to spike in closely contested states.

The ABA Journal recently highlighted the significance of Foundations 2.0 and its potential to reshape how we define and assess lawyer readiness. Our survey is now live, and we’re inviting lawyers across the country to weigh in.

In April, there will be a vacancy on the U.S. District Court for Colorado due to the impending retirement of Judge Robert Blackburn. As with all Article III judgeships, the President will nominate someone to fill the seat, and that person must then be confirmed by a majority of the Senate—no small task in the final year of President Obama’s second term and with divided government.

The Denver Bar Association's October edition of The Docket features a brief history of the American legal education system and mentions current efforts of Educating Tomorrow's Lawyers "to advance legal education and raise standards of competence and professionalism."

In time for the election season, IAALS today announced a new toolkit designed to educate voters about the performance record of judges up for retention. Judges Aren’t Sexy: Engaging and Educating Voters in a Crowded World is available immediately for states to use in their voter education efforts. In many states, voters have the right to decide which judges stay on the bench and which do not. However, getting readily understandable information about a judge’s record into the hands of voters has been difficult, until now.

A pro-business group known as the Montana Growth Network funded a radio ad attacking a supreme court candidate’s position on the death penalty. The candidate asked his opponent to denounce the ad, as the code of judicial conduct recommends when third parties make false statements about candidates, but she responded that she would need to do extensive research to determine the ad’s factuality.

The National Center for State Courts’ 2016 Trends in State Courts includes an article focused on the impact that high-volume cases, such as consumer debt collection, landlord/tenant, and small claims, have on the overall civil caseload. Authored by…

LawWeek Colorado recently interviewed Executive Director Rebecca Love Kourlis about IAALS' efforts to build public confidence and trust for judges and the court system. Referencing a recent publication of the Quality Judges Initiative, "Cornerstones of State Judicial Selection," Kourlis asserts that constituents expect judges to be honest, fair, and faithful to the rule of law and for courts to be impartial, accountable, and transparent. To achieve these principles, Kourlis says that citizens need to think critically about whether the current judicial retention system is delivering what they want out of judges and the courts.

In July, the Conference of Chief Justices Civil Justices approved a resolution endorsing the Recommendations of its Civil Justice Improvements Committee. The Committee’s report, Call to Action: Achieving Justice for All, issues a call to action to the state courts to improve our civil justice system—and a strategic response in the form of thirteen recommendations for restoring function and faith in our civil justice system.

IAALS Advisory Board Member and Educating Tomorrow's Lawyers Advisory Committee Member Richard Baer will be joining Liberty Media Corporation on January 1, 2013, as Senior Vice President and General Counsel. Baer will be returning to Denver after serving as the Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer for UnitedHealth Group since May 2011.

IAALS Executive Director Rebecca Love Korulis wrote in this week's Denver Post, “But in the legal system as in football, the judges on the bench and the referees on the field are charged with enforcing the rules – sometimes in close calls. While we may not like a ruling, we respect and accept the authority of those entrusted with making it.”

When state courts are strained or crippled by budget cuts—and it’s all too familiar a scenario around the country—how can we make the strongest case possible for adequate funding? At the National Center for State Courts and at Justice at Stake, we’ve compiled "Funding Justice: Strategies and Messages for Restoring Court Funding." It offers a comprehensive blueprint for legal groups and civic leaders to champion effectively the needs of America’s courts.

John Moye was recently named Chair of the Alumni Visiting Committee for his alma mater, Cornell Law School.

For as long as she can remember, capital campaigns, strategic planning, and philanthropy were the topics of dinner table conversion for Carol Miller’s family. It’s as if the “family business” was to serve nonprofit institutions, and to utilize their natural talents as relationship builders to connect with others and attract donor investment. With such early and robust exposure to development vernacular, Carol was called to the profession, not by obligation, but by sheer passion for the work. With 18-years’ experience in major gifts, planned giving, corporate partnerships, and development, IAALS is fortunate to welcome Carol as our new Director of Strategic Partnerships. Carol succeeds Barbara Blackwell who left IAALS this April for a new St. Louis position. Carol has a rich background in development having directed important campaigns for Colorado Public Radio, Alzheimer’s Association, and National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Two Colorado attorneys discuss the utility of Colorado’s simplified civil procedure rule (C.R.C.P. 16.1) in the Point/Counterpoint section of The Colorado Lawyer’s February edition. One of the authors mentions IAALS’ comprehensive study of Rule 16.1, although our report had not yet been released at the time of the article deadline.