At IAALS, philanthropic support is essential to advancing our mission of building a more accessible, fair, and efficient legal system. As we continue to deepen our impact through research, convenings, and national partnerships, we are excited to expand our development efforts with new expertise to help us sustain and grow our work.Last month, we welcomed Megan Loeb as our Assistant
Continue Reading Expanding Our Development Team to Drive Our Mission Forward
We at IAALS are deeply saddened by the passing of Daniel L. Ritchie, one of the founders of IAALS, Chancellor Emeritus of the University of Denver, and a businessman, philanthropist, rancher, and leader in the Denver community. Born in China Grove, North Carolina, Ritchie grew up during the Great Depression. Although he wanted to drop out of high school at
Continue Reading Remembering Dan Ritchie—Leader, Founder, Friend
IAALS, the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System, proudly announces Sam Walker, Executive in Residence, Office of the Colorado Attorney General, as the recipient of its inaugural Founders Award. This honor is reserved for individuals who have made significant and sustained contributions to IAALS and its mission to unlock innovations that make our civil justice system
Continue Reading IAALS Announces Inaugural Founders Award Recipient: Sam Walker
As we begin 2025, IAALS is poised to make our biggest gains to date as we work to bring better access to our justice system for everyone. We have laid the groundwork for innovations across many states and sectors of our system—due in large part to people like you, our partners and colleagues. Together, we are creating transformative change to
Continue Reading 2024 Impact Recap: From Inspiring Leaders to Innovation in Action
IAALS, the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System, announced today that it is awarding Robert Southers, Director of the Franklin County Municipal Court Self Help Center and Dispute Resolution Department, the fifth annual Alli Gerkman Legal Visionary Award. The award is designed to encourage and showcase innovators, risk takers, visionaries, and emerging leaders who bring a
Continue Reading Robert Southers Named 2025 Recipient of IAALS’ Alli Gerkman Legal Visionary Award
In November, IAALS held a two-day convening on Regulating AI in the Delivery of Consumer-Facing Legal Services, its fourth in a series of expert convenings designed to align industry leaders around strategies to unlock legal regulation. With the rapid development of generative AI, the legal space has been abuzz with questions about how lawyers should (or shouldn’t) use AI
Continue Reading AI and the Future of Legal Services: IAALS Convening Explores Unlocking Legal Regulation
The Constitution authorizes United States Supreme Court justices to serve during “good Behaviour”; as a practical matter, this has meant life tenure, given how rare legislative impeachment and removal are. Lifetime tenure has been the source of controversy in recent years, as the Court’s decisions and the off-bench activities of some justices have sent the Court’s public standing into a
Continue Reading Term Limits for the United States Supreme Court
UPDATE: In the days following IAALS’ publication of this post, on December 9, Senators Joe Manchin (I-WV) and Peter Welch (D-VT) proposed a resolution that would amend the U.S. Constitution to limit Supreme Court justices to 18-year terms. More information below.The Constitution authorizes United States Supreme Court justices to serve during “good Behaviour”; as a practical matter, this has meant
Continue Reading UPDATED: Term Limits for the United States Supreme Court
The regulatory sandbox modelA regulatory sandbox is a policy tool through which organizations can offer and test new models or services to assess marketability and impact, and to inform future policymaking while maintaining consumer protection. Regulatory sandboxes involve risk-based regulation and include one or more regulatory models. The regulatory sandbox model was first developed in the United Kingdom for experimentation
Continue Reading Utah Sandbox Inspires Similar Regulatory Initiatives in Canada and other States
To expand access to legal services, the state of Arizona has implemented alternative business structures (ABS), business entities that include individuals other than lawyers who have an economic interest or decision-making authority in a firm that provides legal services. The ABS program recognizes that entrepreneurial lawyers and nonlawyers alike should be empowered to pilot a range of differing business forms
Continue Reading Arizona Alternative Business Structure Program Reaches Major Milestone with 100th Participating Entity
IAALS, the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System, is thrilled to announce the appointment of four new members to its Board of Advisors. These leaders have dedicated their careers to challenging assumptions about what is possible when it comes to access to justice, and they are committed to advancing IAALS’ mission of unlocking innovations that make the
Continue Reading IAALS Expands Impact with Four New Board Members
Last month, Hurricane Helene touched down in Florida, wreaking havoc across the southeast United States. It then weakened to a tropical storm and passed through Georgia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee, bringing strong winds, heavy rainfall, storm surge, and devastating floods that ravaged communities along the way. In places like Asheville, North Carolina—considered by many to be a “climate
Continue Reading IAALS' Disaster Protocols Provide Guidance amidst Chaos
IAALS, the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System, announced today that it is giving its 2025 Rebuilding Justice Award to the executive committee and coordinating members of the Colorado Licensed Legal Paraprofessional (LLP) Committee: Judge Angela Arkin (ret.), Judge Adam Espinosa, Amy Goscha, Maha Kamal, David Stark, Judge Jennifer Torrington, and Jessica Yates. The annual Rebuilding Justice
Continue Reading IAALS Announces 2025 Rebuilding Justice Award Recipient
Over two hundred years ago, on September 17, 1787, members of the Constitutional Convention signed the United States Constitution. Each year on this day, we celebrate Constitution Day and the establishment of our government and the guarantee of our rights.Over the last few months, I have had the great opportunity to attend a number of events where the Constitution and
Continue Reading Constitution Day 2024: A Call to Untiring Effort
A Justice System Overdue for InnovationThe modern era is defined by an accelerating pace of change—change that is increasingly complex and multifaceted. This environment necessitates proactive and creative responses to emerging challenges and speaks to a shift in culture. Questioning the status quo and improving systems is expected. And yet the status quo persists in many aspects of the legal
Continue Reading Innovating from the Bench: Judges as Agents of Change