Iaals Publications

The challenges we face continue to upend our lives. But we cannot go back, so instead we must forge a better future. Our work in 2021, as described in our Annual Report, has moved the needle and opened new doors for those in need of justice.

IAALS, in partnership with the Denver Law Firm Coalition for Racial Equity, have published a report detailing best practices and recommendations to recruit, retain, and advance racially diverse attorneys. The report is the outcome of leaders across Denver’s legal community coming together to explore and identify sustainable, long-term DEI solutions, and the Coalition’s commitment to advance these shared goals across member firms.

IAALS has released two new guides that detail innovative ways for legal educators and legal employers to implement data-driven, outcomes-based standards to train and hire better lawyers. The guides are the first in IAALS' new suite of Foundations tools to create alignment between law schools and legal employers, and to address structural problems within the legal profession.

The last twelve months have been an unforgettable crucible. At IAALS, we have taken a hard look at our work and what it will take to build a better legal system for everyone. Our 2020 Annual Report illustrates our ability to foster the change we need—and our capacity to do even more.

IAALS has released new initial discovery protocols to help both businesses and insurers alike reach a quick resolution to the rapid increase in court cases involving business interruption insurance property damage claims due to COVID-19.

In a groundbreaking report, IAALS, in partnership with Professor Deborah Merritt at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, has defined the minimum competence that new lawyers need to be qualified to practice law—and provides recommendations for how legal licensing processes like the bar exam must change to be more fair to bar applicants and to better protect the public.

IAALS has released a new report that reveals valuable insights into how the public views court systems and processes, judges and the judiciary, and information about the legal system. The report is the culmination of IAALS' two-year project on public trust and confidence in the courts. 

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.

People look to our legal system for help in matters that affect their rights, their families, their businesses, and the most intimate aspects of their lives. But, for too long and for too many, the courthouse doors seem closed—and justice out of reach. IAALS is changing that. We are proud to present you with our 2019 Annual Report, which highlights our work and accomplishments toward ensuring that everyone has access to justice we can believe in.

IAALS’ Court Compass project is all about incorporating user-centric design into courts’ reform process to engage and empower litigants in creating solutions and to help improve their trust and confidence in the legal system. The results of IAALS’ model workshops were just released in a new report, titled Redesigning Divorce: User-Driven Design for a Better Process.