A Model Process for Family Justice Initiative Pathways

Publication
This publication is a supplemental guide to the Family Justice Initiative's Principles for Family Justice Reform and sets forth best practices to triaging domestic relations cases that match parties and cases to resources and services… MORE

Think Like a Client

Publication
Understanding what clients want and expect from their lawyers is imperative for the provision of high-quality legal services, as well as for lawyers’ success in the legal profession. While we have anecdotal evidence that presents glimpses of answers… MORE

Guidance on Developing Problem-Solving Approaches for Families in Court

Publication
Family courts operate within a larger court structure that generally reflects the traditional, adversarial approach, which can exacerbate existing tensions between partners or spouses, and, in cases involving children, can leave children caught in… MORE

Guidelines for Creating Effective Self-Help Information

Publication
Self-represented litigants face a variety of challenges navigating the process without legal help. There are widespread efforts by courts around the country to assist self-represented parties, including the development of self-help materials. Not… MORE

Ensuring the Right to Be Heard

Publication
Once a case is filed in court, it becomes the court’s responsibility to manage the case toward a just and timely resolution. This inherently entails an obligation for every aspect of the court, and of all of its staff, to provide guidance to self-… MORE

Redesigning Divorce

Publication
Through our Court Compass project, IAALS has been rethinking legal processes by listening to and engaging the people who actually use the system. In four states across the country, we brought self-represented litigants and other legal… MORE

Preventing Whack-a-Mole Management of Consumer Debt Cases

Publication
Americans are drowning in debt, with an estimated $4 trillion or roughly $13,000 for every man, woman, and child in the United States—large numbers of whom struggle to repay their debts, especially debts incurred to cover routine living expenses,… MORE

Transforming Our Civil Justice System for the 21st Century: The Road to Civil Justice Reform

Publication
In July 2016, the Conference of Chief Justices (CCJ) and the Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA) endorsed 13 recommendations for improving the American civil justice system. The report and recommendations, titled Call to Action:… MORE

Public Perspectives on Trust and Confidence in the Courts

Publication
Researchers have frequently studied public trust and confidence in the legal system, with a large body of survey and public polling data highlighting issues like perceived racial and gender bias, socioeconomic bias, and concerns over the role… MORE

David Thomson

Profile
Course Portfolio: Discovery Practicum David joined the Sturm College of Law as a member of the faculty in 2003, but he had taught two courses over six years at DU Law as an adjunct professor in the 1990s, and already had extensive experience as a… MORE