Elisa “Emo” Overall Named 2026 Recipient of IAALS’ Alli Gerkman Legal Visionary Award
IAALS, the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System at the University of Denver, is pleased to announce that Elisa “Emo” Overall has been selected as the 2026 recipient of IAALS’ Alli Gerkman Legal Visionary Award. The award showcases innovators, risk takers, visionaries, and emerging leaders who bring a unique perspective to the improvement of our justice system, and who are early in their legal careers.
Overall has dedicated her career to issues of equity and justice, and has served since March 2021 as the first-ever Executive Director of the Colorado Access to Justice Commission. In that role, she supports the Commission’s 32 commissioners and six committees in implementing a statewide strategic plan to expand access, quality, and fairness in the justice system for all Coloradans.
“Emo is a rare combination of visionary and doer,” said Brittany Kauffman, IAALS CEO. “Her work in Colorado demonstrates what’s possible when leaders listen closely, build trust across institutions, and turn community experience into durable reform. The systems she has helped build don’t just matter for Colorado—they offer a roadmap for how jurisdictions across the country can strengthen access to justice in meaningful, lasting ways.”
During her tenure, Overall has helped guide the Colorado Access to Justice Commission through major milestones, including its transition to a codified commission of the State of Colorado, where it now serves as a policy-advising body to the General Assembly and receives state funding. The Commission has expanded its staff and statewide programs and is positioned to administer millions of dollars annually for legal aid organizations through Colorado’s first-ever Equal Justice Fund.
Overall’s leadership is also defined by her commitment to listening directly to communities most affected by the civil justice gap. In 2025, she led the Colorado Access to Justice Commission’s second statewide Listen & Learn tour since her tenure began—convening 22 virtual listening sessions across every judicial district and engaging more than 300 judges, court staff, legal aid providers, and community organizations. The resulting Listen & Learn Report and Recommendations, released in December 2025, documents urgent barriers facing Coloradans—particularly in rural communities—and offers an evidence-informed framework for reform that positions Colorado as a leading example for access-to-justice innovation.
“I’m deeply honored by this recognition,” Overall said. “Any progress we’ve made is the result of sustained partnership—commissioners, advocates, court leaders, legislators, and community members working together. I’ve believed throughout my career that we build better systems when we start by listening, and I’m grateful to be part of a movement committed to making justice more accessible and fair.”
The award was created in honor of Alli Gerkman—a leader at IAALS and in national legal education and legal profession reform—who transformed the way our nation thinks about legal education and the role lawyers play in our society. A true visionary, Gerkman helped open the door to a fundamental reframing of how lawyers enter the profession of law and how the profession itself is regulated. After she passed away from cancer in 2019, IAALS created the award to honor her—and those visionaries who follow in her footsteps, like Overall.
The Alli Gerkman Legal Visionary Award will be presented to Overall at IAALS’ 2026 Rebuilding Justice Award Dinner on April 23. Tickets for the event are available for purchase now.