Unlocking Legal Regulation

Utah’s Sandbox: Interim Reports and the Case for Evaluation

Utah's legal regulatory sandbox was designed to open the door to new kinds of legal service providers and business structures, including entities with nonlawyer ownership and nonlawyer practitioners, who could offer legal services to the public. IAALS has now completed our interim evaluation, with findings published across a four-part report series covering background, process evaluation, outcomes evaluation, and social return on investment analysis.

A gavel laying on top of the Indiana state flag

ATLN Supports Advancing Alternative Fee Structures in Indiana

The Above the Line Network strongly supports the Commission on Indiana’s Legal Future recommendation to advise practitioners on alternative fee structures to address the state's attorney shortage. ATLN has submitted public comments to advise practitioners on alternative fee arrangements.

Arizona Chief Justice Timmer and Jess Bednarz speaking at the 2025 IAALS Lawyers Council Meeting

Lawyers Council Explores Legal Innovation with Arizona Chief Justice Timmer

Members of the IAALS Lawyers Council gathered in downtown Denver to discuss the growing momentum of alternative business structures with Arizona Chief Justice Ann A. Scott Timmer.

IAALS Charts a Bold Path for AI in Legal Services Regulation

IAALS' new report on regulating AI in the delivery of consumer-facing legal services outlines a clear and actionable framework for how the legal profession can respond to the rise of artificial intelligence tools already being used by the public to navigate legal issues.

a hand opening a door to an occupied conference room

Alternative Business Structures in the U.S.: What We Know and What We Still Need to Learn

Alternative Business Structures offer a promising, though still evolving, path toward expanding access to legal services in the United States. Early data from Utah and Arizona show encouraging signs, but critical questions remain.

Unlocking Legal Regulation

Too many people cannot effectively access our legal system to protect their rights and resolve their disputes. But if we want to make legal services more accessible, we must re-envision how they are delivered. This project is about taking a bold step forward into a consumer-centered regulatory system—one that is competitive, broadly accessible, and better meets the needs of the people.

AI and the Future of Legal Services: IAALS Convening Explores Unlocking Legal Regulation

In November, IAALS brought together 23 experts to discuss regulating AI in the delivery of consumer-facing legal services, its fourth in a series of convenings designed to align industry leaders around strategies to unlock legal regulation.

Utah Sandbox Inspires Similar Regulatory Initiatives in Canada and other States

Following Utah's example, several other states and Canadian provinces are exploring regulatory sandboxes to address the access to justice crisis and create innovative services for people's unmet legal needs.

Arizona Alternative Business Structure Program Reaches Major Milestone with 100th Participating Entity

The program recognizes that entrepreneurial lawyers and nonlawyers alike should be empowered to pilot a range of differing business forms that would otherwise be prohibited, but could ultimately improve access to justice and legal services for the public.

A report cover with people carrying a key and unlocking paths for legal workers

New IAALS Report Offers Recommendations for Advancing Regulatory Reform Nationwide to Address Dire Gap in Legal Services for Majority of Americans

IAALS has released a new report with results and recommendations on how legal regulation innovation can address the continued and urgent legal services gap faced by the majority of Americans today.