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Foundations for Practice: The Whole Lawyer and the Character Quotient
July 26, 2016
This is the lead report in a series of reports that explore the results of the Foundations for Practice survey, which was designed to clarify the legal skills, professional competencies, and characteristics that make lawyers successful. New lawyers need some legal skills and require intelligence, but they are successful when they come to the job with a much broader blend of legal skills, professional competencies, and characteristics.
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Foundations for Practice: Survey Overview and Methodological Approach
July 26, 2016
This report describes the Foundations for Practice survey and methodology used for the foundations and describes the demographics and practice-specific characteristics of the respondents.
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A Court Compass for Litigants: 2016 Convening Report
July 6, 2016
In June 2016, IAALS convened a group of people from around the country to discuss the development of an online tool designed to help people with potential legal problems in the family court arena and to help self-represented litigants with these kinds of cases in court. This paper is the outgrowth of that convening and details next steps in a plan designed to coalesce energy and funding toward achievement of such an online tool.
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family in puzzle pieces publication cover
Out of Court and In Collaboration
Evaluating a New Model for Separation and Divorce in a University Setting
June 30, 2016
This report chronicles and analyzes the two-year pilot project of IAALS' out-of-court model for separation and divorce at the Resource Center for Separating and Divorcing Families. The purpose of this report is to provide insight into one implementation of the IAALS model and the primarily positive results will be useful for policy makers and decision makers nationwide.
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The Family Law Bar: Stewards of the System, Leaders of Change
June 21, 2016
In November 2015, the IAALS hosted a two-day summit that brought together diverse leaders of the family law bar to identify obstacles to serving children and families in separation and divorce matters, and explore opportunities for meaningful change. Interactive, engaging conversation highlighted a number of themes and recommendations.
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Cases Without Counsel Research
Cases Without Counsel: Research on Experiences of Self-Representation in U.S. Family Court
June 8, 2016
The findings in this research report focus on major themes revealed through the Cases Without Counsel study. In their own words, self-represented litigants and court professionals discuss the challenges involved in self-representation from their perspectives.
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Cases Without Counsel Recommendations
Cases Without Counsel: Our Recommendations after Listening to the Litigants
June 8, 2016
This Cases Without Counsel recommendations report includes the various stakeholder recommendations alongside materials and resources for those interested in learning more or implementing various components in their respective jurisdictions.
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Judges Aren't Sexy: Engaging and Educating Voters in a Crowded World
Judges Aren't Sexy: Engaging and Educating Voters in a Crowded World
April 13, 2016
In collaboration with a political and communications consultant, IAALS identified a range of strategies for communicating Judicial Performance Evaluation results to voters, including coalition building, messaging platforms, and social media.
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Model Code of Conduct for Judicial Nominating Commissioners
Model Code of Conduct for Judicial Nominating Commissioners
March 14, 2016
To assist Judicial Nominating Commissions in performing their crucial role, IAALS developed this Model Code to identify and clarify the ethical obligations that members of judicial nominating commissions have, addressing such considerations as potential conflicts of interest, the extent of commission members’ political activity, their ex parte communications, and the confidentiality of the commission’s work.
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Change the Culture, Change the System: Top 10 Cultural Shifts Needed to Create the Courts of Tomorrow
Change the Culture, Change the System
Top 10 Cultural Shifts Needed to Create the Courts of Tomorrow
October 27, 2015
The research on culture change, and legal culture in particular, suggests that culture change for the legal system is an uphill battle. While we have a clear challenge ahead, that does not mean that it is impossible. We propose ten cultural shifts for the purpose of promoting that national dialogue.
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Rule Reform, Case Management, and Culture Change
Making the Case for Real and Lasting Reform
October 20, 2015
In this article for the Kansas Journal of Law and Public Policy, IAALS highlights the critical next step needed beyond rule changes: culture change. Judges and attorneys alike have a responsibility to ensure that the system functions well, for the sake of clients, courts, and the profession. This article outlines those responsibilities and ways to achieve that goal.
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Unbundling Legal Services: A Toolkit for Court Leadership
Unbundling Legal Services: A Toolkit for Court Leadership
October 15, 2015
This toolkit was compiled by IAALS, in coordination with the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC), and is designed to provide judicial leaders quick access to information on unbundled legal services and ways to promote its availability and use.
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Unbundling Legal Services: A Guide for Lawyers
Unbundling Legal Services: A Guide for Lawyers
October 15, 2015
This guide was compiled by IAALS, in coordination with the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC), and amasses helpful resources into an easily accessible Frequently Asked Questions format, centered on the fundamentals of unbundled legal services.
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Unbundling Legal Services: A Guide for Non-Legal Professionals
Unbundling Legal Services: A Guide for Non-Legal Professionals
October 15, 2015
This guide was compiled by the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC), in coordination with IAALS, and is designed to give non-legal professionals information about the benefits of unbundled legal services and alternative processes that families can take.
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Unbundling Legal Services: A Guide for Consumers
Unbundling Legal Services: A Guide for Consumers
October 15, 2015
This guide was compiled by the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC), in coordination with IAALS, and is designed for parents seeking affordable legal assistance in family separation cases.
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