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Message from Our Executive Director |
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We are excited to announce that IAALS is launching a new effort to earn and bolster public trust and confidence in the judiciary. By conducting original research and analysis, IAALS will attempt to identify the drivers that are shaping current public sentiment about the judicial branch. Empowered with that knowledge, IAALS and others can then develop informed solutions designed to earn the public’s trust and confidence. While we may like to believe that we have the best legal system in the world, the reality is that many people feel disenfranchised, priced out, baffled by, and distrustful of our courts. Coupled with political attacks on judges, and legislatures attempting to curtail court power and jurisdiction, earning and bolstering the public’s trust and confidence in the third branch will require these new solutions.
Rebecca Love Kourlis, IAALS Executive Director
May 2018
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Partner Profile: Gregory J. Kerwin
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IAALS simply would not be what it is without the support of our partners and friends. This month, we profile Greg Kerwin, Litigation Partner, Gibson Dunn.
Greg is a driving force in the law—and in IAALS. He has been a backbone of our Law Firm Council, helping us strategize, create value, and develop our network of law firm members. We at IAALS are so very grateful for Greg’s quiet, upbeat brilliance; his equanimity; and his commitment to our work.
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Courts Can Improve Access to Justice by Managing
Cases Better
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America’s civil justice system is failing to deliver on the promise of a just, speedy, and inexpensive resolution in every case. However, by taking charge of cases from their beginning to end, courts have the power to change that.
IAALS’ latest report,
Redefining Case Management, offers strategies to help the courts take charge of the delivery of justice and anchor a holistic vision for case management.
“Judges must strategically manage cases, moving beyond the notion that case management is a chore to embracing case management for what it is—an essential aspect of service to the litigants who come to the court for resolution of their disputes,” explained Brittany Kauffman, who directs IAALS' work to reform the civil justice system.
Download the report.
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Unbundling: A Versatile Solution to Increase Access to Legal Services
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Nicolle Schippers, Associate General Counsel and Legal Industry Advocate for ARAG, attended our Better Access through Unbundling Conference last year, and wrote a guest blog on her challenge to the legal industry to become more client-focused and affordable:
"There are many incredible solutions that are being contemplated, designed, and implemented to help bridge the justice gap, but many entail rule changes, technology builds, dollars invested, and time. Unbundling surpasses all these constraints thanks to those who already did the work. But as with any change in our industry, even if it is already known to be a viable solution for many issues we face, we, as lawyers, must embrace and try it. My call to action for all of you is: How can you help unbundling of legal services be more commonplace in your state?"
Read more.
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The Whole Lawyer:
Small Variations across
Practice Settings
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Through our Foundations for Practice project, we surveyed more than 24,000 lawyers about what new lawyers need as they enter the profession. Overall, respondents identified 77 Foundations that practicing lawyers believe new lawyers need right out of law school.
There were a few notable practically significant differences that arose among the various practice settings we studied. Specifically, one of the demographics we collected was type of legal practice, which we organized into four categories: private practice, business in-house, government, and other settings. However, in reviewing the data, the message is clear: although there is some divergence, the results are overwhelmingly consistent across practice settings.
Read more.
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IAALS’ Annual Dinner
Focuses on Causes of Public Dissatisfaction with the Courts
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In Colorado, April 19, 2018, will forever be known as “The Conference of Chief Justices Day” thanks to an official proclamation by the governor. The proclamation was delivered at IAALS’ 11th Annual Rebuilding Justice Award Dinner, which centered around the Conference of Chief Justices and honored and celebrated their leadership and work to improve America’s civil and family courts. IAALS’ video tribute showcased how the group is moving our state courts forward to better serve people and our democracy.
The evening also included a fireside chat with several attending Chief Justices, who discussed the issue of public trust and confidence in the judiciary, the sources of distrust, and what the bench and bar can do to stem the tide.
Read more.
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Arizona Takes Latest Step Towards Civil Justice Reform: Arizona has been a leader in taking up the Call to Action from the Conference of Chief Justices and is in the process of implementing reforms. Read more. |
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It’s Law Day!
What does this mean? While I’m always one for a good cake and celebration, on this day we take time to reflect on the wisdom of this country’s founders who painstakingly created a government with three distinct and independent branches—separate powers meant to keep the others in check. Since 1958, Law Day has commemorated our self-governance within the rule of law. And, on Law Day 2018, we celebrate the foundations of freedom.
Since 2006, in the same spirit of innovation forged by our nation’s founders, IAALS has worked to bolster the judicial branch and strengthen our legal system—because a trusted and trustworthy legal system is essential to the health of our democracy.
Please consider a gift today to support this system for the generations to come. Your support directly impacts our work—and has a lasting effect on our legal system.
Carol Miller, Director of Strategic Partnerships
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IAALS is a national, independent research center dedicated to facilitating continuous improvement and advancing excellence in the American legal system. Our mission is to forge innovative and practical solutions to problems in our system in collaboration with the best minds in the country. |
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Engage—Connect—Invest
in the Future of the American Legal System |
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