IAALS, the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System at the University of Denver, announced today that it released its new The Past and Future of State Court Civil Filings report. This report provides important new insights into long-term filing trends and areas where courts may need resource shifts, like declining tort and small claims cases and increasing
Continue Reading New IAALS Report on State Court Civil Filings: The Trends, Drivers of Change, and Importance of Data
This year, the American Bar Association (ABA) is celebrating Law Day with the theme “Cornerstones of Democracy: Civics, Civility, and Collaboration.” These sentiments are at the heart of IAALS—what we do, how we do it, and why this work is so critical. Civics efforts are crucial to informing and empowering the public as to our country’s history and its democratic
Continue Reading Law Day 2023: Stronger Solutions Together
Last Thursday, IAALS gathered with partners and friends for our 15th Annual Rebuilding Justice Award Dinner, celebrating the year’s awardees and recognizing our collective efforts to build a justice system that is accessible, constantly innovating, and puts people from all walks of life at its center. “When I joined IAALS in 2012, I knew I was entering an organization that
Continue Reading IAALS’ 2023 Rebuilding Justice Award Dinner: A Night of Inspiration
On Tuesday, April 4, IAALS held its first Lawyers Council meeting in downtown Denver. IAALS’ Lawyers Council pulls together the members of our former Law Firm Council and Business Leadership Network to create a new national group of law firms and businesses whose members engage in IAALS’ process while also providing insight into their experiences in the justice system to
Continue Reading IAALS Kicks Off Lawyers Council with Panel on Leadership and Reform
Enforcing court rules that require expedited actions can improve fairness, cost, and efficiency in the civil justice system while also relieving case backlogs exacerbated by the pandemic, according to new findings released by national experts today.In its report, “A Renewed Analysis of the Expedited Actions Rules in Texas Courts,” the Texas Office of Court Administration (OCA), National Center for State
Continue Reading National Study Finds Expedited Action Rules Can Ease Civil Case Backlogs
In March, the Colorado Supreme Court approved a program to license a new tier of legal service providers. These Licensed Legal Professionals (LLPs) will be able to practice in certain types of family law matters, such as divorce, custody, and protection orders. “LLPs have the potential to increase access to legal services for one of the largest segments of
Continue Reading Colorado Supreme Court Approves Licensed Legal Paraprofessionals
I recall the first message from S.M. Kernodle-Hodges, inviting me to join her in advocating for limited legal licensing in North Carolina. Despite living three hours apart and only encountering each other quarterly at North Carolina Bar Association meetings, we had communicated enough to know we shared a mutual interest in advocacy and access to justice. She ended the email
Continue Reading Becoming the Change: The Story of the North Carolina Justice for All Project
In 2020, the five largest Denver-based law firms launched the Denver Law Firm Coalition for Racial Equity to advance racial equity and address systemic inequities in the local legal community through knowledge-sharing, joint initiatives, and accountability measures. Recently, Coalition members Kenzo Kawanabe, partner at Davis Graham & Stubbs, and Andrew Unthank, partner and recruiting chair at Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell, sat
Continue Reading Denver Law Firm Coalition for Racial Equity Makes Strides, Looks to Future
Over the last seventeen years, IAALS has built momentum for change across the American legal system—from civil courts to family justice, from judicial selection to the pipeline of legal professionals. That momentum continues to grow—as do our impacts—and our justice system is now exploring needed changes and aligning around a vision for a better future.Every person from every walk of
Continue Reading Momentum for Change: Read the 2022 IAALS Annual Report
I was delighted to attend IAALS’ convening in November 2022 to discuss the future of allied legal professionals (ALPs). As the access to justice crisis deepens in both Canada and the United States, I applaud IAALS’ effort to create workable models for the development of alternatives to traditional legal service delivery. This blog provides my perspective on the convening, which
Continue Reading Paralegal Regulation in Ontario, Canada: A Northern Experience
On January 20 and 21, 2023, the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law hosted the inaugural Legal Paraprofessional Summit. Arizona is one of the first four states to implement an allied legal professional (ALP) program, alongside Washington, Utah, and Minnesota, with Oregon set to implement its own program later this year. The university has played a key role
Continue Reading Legal Paraprofessional Summit Showcases Arizona’s Leadership and National Momentum
In February, the American Bar Association published Design Your Law Practice: Using Design Thinking to Get Next Level Results. I served as co-editor on this project, which is intended to be a one-stop resource to learn the basics of design thinking, gain insight into how design thinking principles have been successfully applied in the legal services sectors, and prepare
Continue Reading New ABA Book Spotlights the Benefits of Using Design Thinking to Think Like a Client
In December, Congress passed the Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act, which will protect judges’ personally identifiable information from resale by data brokers. The act will also permit federal judges to redact personal information displayed on federal government websites, as well as prevent the publication of personal information by other businesses and individuals where there is no legitimate
Continue Reading Judicial Security Is Increasing Concern across the Country
In November 2022, IAALS hosted a convening of subject-matter experts to review and provide feedback on its report, The Landscape of Allied Legal Professional Programs in the United States, prior to publication. Paraprofessionals, court leadership, and bar leadership from states that have adopted allied legal professional (ALP) programs joined the convening, along with faculty from legal education institutions and
Continue Reading Allied Legal Professionals and the Legal Service Ecosystem
Editor’s Note: Judge Jeremy Fogel, executive director of the Berkeley Judicial Institute, is a member of IAALS’ board of advisors and executive committee. Trusted partners are key to IAALS’ process, and we’re excited to showcase their passion and expertise. In this Q&A, Judge Fogel discusses access to justice, IAALS’ key strengths, and the traits he admires in others.Why is the
Continue Reading Q&A with Judge Jeremy Fogel, Member of IAALS' Executive Committee