A pair of Illinois attorneys are offering a unique model for couples looking to end their marriage. Sandra Young and Brian Garvey are pioneering "The Weekend Divorce," which builds on the collaborative law model and offers divorcing couples settlement on all issues over the course of a weekend. This new model comes in the wake of widespread experimentation with out-of-court alternatives for separating and divorcing families.
Three justices are on the ballot in November, and their retention is expected to be hotly contested. One group that has mounted an anti-retention campaign is Restore Justice 2012, whose website lays out the justices’ voting records on issues of interest to the group. The group also unsuccessfully challenged two justices in 2010.
On August 9, 2020, friends, family, and fans of Alli Gerkman will gather virtually for Alli’s Rally: a fun, free, casual self-supported bike ride to celebrate Alli’s love for riding, her infectious laughter, and her extraordinary legacy.
Access to justice is by no means a new conversation in the United States, but it has been a frequent topic of conversation over the last few months. The issue took to the international stage last Thursday and Friday when the United Nations Human Rights Committee asked the U.S. to account for its growing civil justice gap, with two worrisome trends dominating the discussion.
Governor Daniels selected attorney Mark Massa to replace the retiring Randall Shepard on the supreme court. The state judicial nominating commission will choose one of the five sitting justices to replace Shepard as chief justice. Indiana is one of three states with no women justices on the highest court.
The public knows the reality of how the justice system functions today. It is we who are now catching on. The call has never been louder for court leaders and system stakeholders to accept and admit some hard truths. It is time that we look inward and take responsibility for those aspects of the system that are failing.
The Journal of Legal Education of Southwestern Law School recently published an article surveying the landscape of legal education. Authors Stephen Daniels, Martin Katz, and William Sullivan used an Educating Tomorrow's Lawyers survey to discuss changes that have been made by the legal academy and whether these changes were forceful enough to overcome the inertia of traditional legal education.
In an interview with Paul Lippe on Legal OnRamp, Dean Martin Katz, Educating Tomorrow’s Lawyers executive committee member, discusses experiential learning, the Carnegie Report, and Educating Tomorrow’s Lawyers.
IAALS is deeply saddened by the news of Paula Littlewood’s passing, and we extend our sympathies to her family, friends, and colleagues. Paula’s partnership with IAALS was long and deep, and we will sorely miss her.
Law Week Colorado recently published an article highlighting the Honoring Families Initiative model for out-of-court resolution of divorce and separation, and custody matters, which is currently being piloted at the University of Denver. Thus far, the Resource Center has provided services to over 80 families, including 55 mediations and 18 final orders hearings.
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.”
