Utah

Utah's regulatory sandbox might include a new participant: social workers from Utah State University’s Community Justice Advocate Program, which aims to help people dealing with consumer debt. Unlike many similar programs, USU’s would be operated with lawyers in a supporting role.

As more states reimagine how legal services can be delivered, it's crucial to emphasize that successful implementation hinges on robust data collection and evaluation. The more data we gather and analyze, the more robust our foundation becomes for advancing regulatory innovation.

New research from Stanford Law School illuminates how regulatory reform efforts, including those in Utah and Arizona, are fostering innovation and increasing access to legal services.

In January, the i4j Program at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law proposed expanding several legal paraprofessional programs to include a housing training certificate, equipping community members to provide limited-scope representation related to housing issues.

In Utah, victims of domestic violence and stalking who cannot afford or otherwise don’t want to hire a lawyer are now able to seek the help of victim advocates. These advocates are permitted to provide certain legal advice, which was solely the purview of lawyers before the state's regulatory sandbox opened.

Despite trepidation from some in the legal community around the idea of nonlawyers providing legal services, newly released data from Utah's sandbox proves those fears unfounded—and that, in fact, the opposite is true. Sandbox providers are bringing a variety of safe legal services to thousands of consumers.

In May 2021, amendments to the Utah Rules of Civil Procedure went into effect, several of which provide better notice of parties’ rights and obligations at the outset and throughout a lawsuit. The rule amendments are also paired with forms that include notice of rights in plain language and in multiple languages.

IAALS has announced that Utah Supreme Court Justice Deno Himonas and Utah attorney John Lund are the recipients of the organization’s 2021 Rebuilding Justice Award. IAALS is proud to recognize the achievements of Himonas and Lund for their efforts in founding Utah’s Office of Legal Services Innovation.

Last week, in a historic vote, the Utah Supreme Court voted unanimously to establish a regulatory sandbox for nontraditional legal services providers in order to address the state’s access to justice crisis. These rule changes will allow individuals and entities to explore creative ways to safely allow the practice of law and reduce constraints on how lawyers market and promote their services.

The regulatory reform signal shines brightly over Utah and your help is needed—will you answer the call? The public comment period on Utah's proposals to expand the delivery of legal services is open until Thursday, July 23. It is imperative for all those who are committed to making justice available for all to submit comments in favor of these important advancements.