Imagine a legal sector neatly divided into two groups: the Rule Makers and the Risk Takers. With evidence piling up that the legal market is not working for ordinary citizens, the Rule Makers come together to evaluate possible changes. After the new rules are enacted, the burden shifts to the Risk Takers to build out...

On Thursday, March 12, the State Bar of California Trustees voted to postpone passing the motion to explore the development of a regulatory sandbox to May. In my eyes, every day, hour, or minute of delay leads to bad legal outcomes for Californians. Our legal system is in crisis. Now, as a community, we have to turn...

From my perspective as the director of a law school innovation lab, legal education is disengaged from the regulatory reform effort: only a handful of legal academics have chimed in on regulatory reform or been involved in task force efforts. But legal education should join the conversation and prepare for the changes...

On January 1, 2020, Michigan implemented its first major overhaul of its civil discovery rules in nearly forty years. A State Bar Association Committee was formed in 2017 to evaluate the current rules and recommend amendments that could help increase access to the courts; as a foundation to its work, the Committee...

As a member of the California State Bar Task Force on Access Through Innovation of Legal Services, I’m often asked how things are going with ATILS and what is coming next. Considering the recent increase in news coverage of our efforts, the critical feedback received to date, and with the Task Force recently being...

In Ohio, state judges are currently chosen in nonpartisan general elections (although they do compete in partisan primaries). But House Bill 460 would allow judicial candidates to place their party affiliations directly on the general election ballot. If the measure becomes law, Ohio would be the second state in...

Eldercaring Coordination is an innovative dispute resolution process for high-conflict cases, providing an alternative to the traditional adversarial court process. By directly focusing on elders and their legally authorized decisionmakers, Eldercaring Coordination helps families work together to regain harmony and...

Some lawyers have expressed concern that changes to the Model Rules of Professional Conduct will allow new players into the field, potentially reducing their income and/or taking their jobs. On the contrary, however, allowing new players in the business of legal services may make it possible for lawyers to scale their...

The legal system has been regulated so tightly that it has led to a world where only a fraction of the citizens who require legal services can access them, and we cannot afford to fail those who cannot afford legal representation. Unlocking legal regulation is the answer and stands at the heart of the worthy efforts...

Based on IAALS' model for out-of-court divorce, the Family Resolutions Specialty Court in Massachusetts helps parents of minor children work through issues related to divorce, separation, paternity, and more—and keeps the focus on the best interests of the child.