News & Updates

IAALS and the NCSC have finalized a three-year project with the release of their new report highlighting the experiences of four states—Idaho, Maine, Missouri, and Texas—as they worked to implement change in their courts. The recommendations can provide critical support to courts facing unprecedented need for change during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Kansas Supreme Court's long-awaited school funding decision may prevent an all-out legislative assault on the state's courts. On March 7, the high court ruled that funding disparities among the state's school districts violate the state constitution. According to Kansas' attorney general, the court adopted a middle ground.

Howard Wasserman recently wrote a post questioning the notion that medical school offers an appropriate model to law schools wishing to graduate lawyers who are "practice-ready." Jeff Lipshaw responded at The Legal Whiteboard.

IAALS is pleased to announce that two of our own have been promoted to director positions as of July 1: Logan Cornett has been promoted to Director of Research and Zack DeMeola has been promoted to Director of Legal Education and the Legal Profession.

As a soon-to-be-graduate, I often find my head swirling with concerns and worries about life after law school. Beyond joining a firm, what options are out there for new grads? Banding together with a couple other recent grads or, scarier yet, hanging out my own shingle? The Denver Bar Association was trying to answer exactly this question when it unveiled Stratum, which offers meeting spaces, networking events, and just about every business amenity a lawyer could need.

The April 2012 edition of Selection Snapshots is now available.

It’s time that the delivery of legal services reflected the reality of innovation and progress we see in every other field—medical, financial, engineering, and everything in between—giving everyone greater access to legal services.

A recent study has found that heavy use of social networking sites is “a positive, significant predictor of divorce rate and spousal troubles” in the United States. The apparent association between the use of social networking sites and divorce and marital unhappiness raises questions not only about how such tools are used, but how their use affects marriage.

The senate approved a bill that would alter the process for nominating appellate judges. The judge member of the appellate judicial commission would be replaced by a gubernatorial appointee.

In March, IAALS wrapped up our Pandemic Positives Speaker Series, bringing together a number of courts and legal service providers who, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, quickly implemented new processes for providing both in-person and virtual services to ensure access to information and assistance.

This Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (September 18-20), I will be attending the 3rd Annual Educating Tomorrow's Lawyers Conference, which will focus on "Accelerating Competency: Assessment in Legal Education." I'll be keeping you updated throughout each day with live tweets on conference happenings and discussions taking place—so even if you can't join us, you can follow along online using hashtag #ETLConference.

Hosted by IAALS, the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System, and sponsored by DISH Network L.L.C. On June 22, 2012, IAALS is hosting eDiscovery Summit 2012, an educational summit in Denver, Colorado, that will bring together…

In October, the Indiana Supreme Court published the Family Law Taskforce's final recommendations on how to make courts more efficient, less expensive, and easier to navigate in family law matters, with an emphasis in problem-solving, triage, training and stakeholder partnerships, and technology.

Delaware Law Weekly recently published an article discussing how judicial vacancies are filled in Delaware. Specifically, the article focused on the state’s Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC) and whether it is appropriate for members of the JNC to resign and then apply for judicial positions. IAALS's own Malia Reddick spoke to the problems created by a process where this is allowed.

A November ballot measure known as Proposition 115 would make two fairly substantial changes to the judicial nominating process, by requiring the commission to submit eight names (rather than at least three) to the governor for possible appointment and by limiting the role of the bar in selecting attorney commission members.

IAALS continues its commitment to ensuring fair, impartial, transparent, and accessible courts through JPE 2.0—a project that will help programs assessing the job performance of judges update their approaches to reflect modern realities, while remaining accurate, trusted, and relevant.

In a recent Politico piece, the former chief justice of Alabama's supreme court offered a firsthand perspective on the relationship between electing judges and maintaining impartial courts and judges, and other judges have shared similar sentiments. In 2012, Chief Justice Cobb participated in an IAALS roundtable, which reached consensus on several "cornerstones" for contested judicial elections.

Groups formed to support and oppose the retention of three supreme court justices are expected to run television spots and newspaper ads as the November election nears. “Restore Justice 2012” is targeting the justices for their role in removing a proposed constitutional amendment regarding federal health care from the 2010 ballot.

The North Carolina Justice for All Project, created in 2020 to expand access to justice through regulatory reform, is a testament to the power of advocacy and the potential for individuals to drive change.

Technology has impacted the legal profession greatly, yet many attorneys are not keeping up—at least, according to some judges. In a recent survey, roughly 32 percent of judge respondents said that lawyers lack the knowledge necessary, on both the…