Community-based justice worker (CBJW) programs—programs that train and certify individuals working at community-based organizations to offer legal advice and services in certain case types—are sprouting up across the U.S. to help address the seismic gap in legal services. These models largely target low-income individuals and require modification of, exemption from, or waivers to unauthorized practice of law restrictions. In this…
Continue Reading i4J Develops New Tool for Leaders Interested in Developing Community-Based Justice Worker Programs

IAALS is excited to announce that nominations are now open for the 2025 Alli Gerkman Legal Visionary Award. The fifth annual award recognizes national innovators who have made significant impacts early in their legal careers toward making the American legal system work better for everyone. Nominations will be accepted through November 1, 2024, and the award will be presented…
Continue Reading Nomination Window Opens to Award the 2025 Legal Visionary

Earlier this month, the Texas Supreme Court took a significant step toward improving access to justice by giving preliminary approval to two programs—licensed legal paraprofessionals and licensed court-access assistants—both of which would allow professionals who are not attorneys to provide limited legal services to low-income individuals. These initiatives are critical for people who struggle to find and afford the legal…
Continue Reading Texas Strives to Help Low-Income Individuals with Licensed Legal Paraprofessionals and Licensed Court-Access Assistants Proposal

IAALS, the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System at the University of Denver, is proud to announce the launch of People-Centered Legal Regulation: Grassroots Engagement with the Public, a pathbreaking project aimed at understanding and incorporating public perspectives on regulatory reform in the legal profession. This work addresses the critical need for states to have effective…
Continue Reading IAALS Launches Groundbreaking Project to Engage Public on Regulatory Reform Efforts in the Legal Profession

Utah’s regulatory sandbox, which celebrates its fourth birthday this month, may soon welcome a new participant: a group of social workers helping people navigate debt issues. Utah State University’s (USU) Transforming Communities Institute’s Community Justice Advocate (CJA) Program aims to train social workers to provide limited legal services to individuals in consumer debt cases, a population that often struggles to…
Continue Reading Community Justice Advocates Apply for Utah Sandbox, Focused on Debt Collection Cases

July is Disability Pride Month, a reminder of the importance of ensuring that our justice system is inclusive and accessible to all, regardless of ability.Too many Americans have limited access to justice—including Americans with disabilities. For example, despite the ADA’s mandate for accessible public spaces, many courthouses and legal offices still fall short of full accessibility. Steps, narrow doorways,…
Continue Reading Access to Justice Means Access for All Abilities

Editor’s Note: Eduardo Gonzalez, Program Officer for Civil Justice at the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, is the recipient of the 2024 Alli Gerkman Legal Visionary Award, which recognizes innovators who have made significant impacts early in their legal careers toward making our legal system work better for everyone.What drives your passion for access to justice?Every new project I…
Continue Reading A Conversation with Eduardo Gonzalez, 2024 Alli Gerkman Legal Visionary Award Recipient

Results will inform new recommendations for state-level judicial performance evaluation designed to benefit both judges and the public they serve. IAALS, the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System at the University of Denver, today released the results of an eight-state survey of 658 judges designed to understand their perspective on judicial performance evaluation (JPE) processes that assess their…
Continue Reading Survey Reveals How Judges Would Improve the Ways They Are Evaluated

In recent weeks, events surrounding U.S. Supreme Court Justice Alito have prompted many discussions about when judges should recuse themselves from certain cases. Recusal is typically called for when a judge has interests, beliefs, or opinions about the case at hand that could interfere with their ability to make an unbiased ruling. The principles and procedures surrounding judicial recusal are…
Continue Reading Justice Alito and the Importance of Judicial Recusal

In April, the Wall Street Journal highlighted an alarming trend: the increasing number of calls to 211 emergency helplines by those struggling to afford basic needs. This trend reflects a disconnect between favorable economic indicators, such as low unemployment and cooling inflation and the very real financial pressures faced by many families. United Way, which runs many 211 centers,…
Continue Reading The Hidden Struggle: The Middle Class Struggles to Afford Legal Help

My name is Wesley Hassler of Hassler Law Firm, LLC, and I am thrilled to be at the forefront of supporting Licensed Legal Paraprofessionals (LLPs) in my state. I have been practicing law for 20 years. I have two offices in Colorado: one in Colorado Springs and the other in Pueblo. Hassler Law Firm is comprised of four attorneys, five…
Continue Reading The Role Licensed Legal Paraprofessionals Can Play in Colorado Law Firms

IAALS is thrilled to welcome Ericka Byram and Courtney Petersen to our team as program associates. Byram and Petersen bring extensive experience to our projects and a strong dedication to making justice for all a reality for everyone.With a diverse background in public service and legal practice, Ericka Byram brings a unique perspective and a commitment to justice reform. She…
Continue Reading New Program Associates Expand IAALS’ Expertise and Capabilities

Every year, there are roughly two million marriages in the United States. On the opposite end, there are between 600,000 and 900,000 divorces each year; out of these hundreds of thousands of divorces, over 70 percent of them involve at least one party that is self-represented. And while divorce is often portrayed as a heated battle with no real winner,…
Continue Reading Simplifying Divorce with Informal Domestic Relations Trials