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Message from Our Executive Director |
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We are pleased to have five new members join the ranks of our Board of Advisors this month:
- Andrew Arruda, Co-Founder and CEO of ROSS Intelligence, a leader in the legal technology industry
- Sherri Carter, Executive Officer and Clerk of Court at the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles
- Kenzo Kawanabe, Partner at Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP
- Yolanda Lewis, District Court Administrator at the Atlanta Judicial Circuit and Superior Court of Fulton County
- Justice Carlos Samour, Colorado Supreme Court
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IAALS benefits tremendously from the wisdom, experience, and counsel of these and other nationally recognized experts from the legal, academic, and business professions who comprise our Board of Advisors. To each of them, a very warm welcome.
Rebecca Love Kourlis, IAALS Executive Director
July 2019 |
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Honoring Becky's Lifetime of Service |
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As we prepare for Becky’s transition toward retirement in September, we asked those who have worked with her in achieving her mission of continuous improvement in the legal system to share their stories. Below, Ozzie Ayscue, past president of the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL) and past member of the IAALS Board of Advisors, reflects on his time working with Becky on the IAALS and ACTL Task Force on Discovery and Civil Justice.
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“In the early 2000s, a national movement was ignited to instigate reform of civil procedure and trial court management. The effort to bring more accessible, affordable justice to the courts and the citizens they serve is still growing—both state-by-state and in the federal courts—even expanding to other related problems. Our collective effort has kept that fire burning, but it was Becky Kourlis and her then-new organization, IAALS, who first lit the match and first joined the appropriate forces to spark real change.”
Read more from Ozzie and join us in honoring Becky’s legacy with a gift to IAALS in her honor. |
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Investigation of California Commission on Judicial Performance Both Hits and Misses the Mark
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There is growing interest nationally in judicial misconduct and the entities in each state (and federally) that investigate complaints, and in 2018, IAALS prepared its own
Recommendations for Judicial Discipline Systems.
In April of this year, the California State Auditor filed her report on an investigation into the Commission on Judicial Performance, the state's judicial conduct body. Among other things, she recommended better supervision of commission investigators; a bicameral commission rather than the current unitary structure; and greater transparency in commission operations. IAALS Fellow Russell Wheeler gives an overview of where the Auditor's recommendations hit and miss the mark.
Read More.
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Case Management Training in Maine Furthers Civil Justice Reform Momentum
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On April 29, Maine continued its efforts toward civil justice reform by conducting an all-day Civil Justice Reform Training Conference, designed to familiarize the state's justices, judges, and court staff with the establishment of three different case tracks and corresponding proposed amendments to Maine’s rules of civil procedure.
Maine is one of four states selected by the Civil Justice Initiative Steering Committee to serve as a roadmap state for implementing the civil justice reform recommendations endorsed by the Conference of Chief Justices. IAALS is excited to continue working with Maine as it moves through the roadmap process, providing technical assistance, documenting their efforts, and ultimately issuing a case study of the successes and lessons learned from implementation.
Read More.
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Case Management Teams: Results from Florida Pilot and Upcoming Webinar
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The National Center for States Courts has released the first in a series of evaluations of civil justice reform demonstration pilot projects around the country. The pilot, in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, focused on implementing civil case management teams (CCMTs)—an innovative court staffing model that delegates case management responsibilities across a team of judges and staff.
To learn more about the CCMT model and to hear from the judges and case manager experts on the pilot project team, attend the upcoming webinar on July 11 from 2:00 to 3:15 pm ET. The presenters will focus on team formation and member roles, the training and business practices implemented by the court, as well as lessons learned from the challenges they encountered during implementation.
Read More and Register for the Webinar.
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IAALS Welcomes Kelsey Montague as New Associate Director of Marketing and PR
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IAALS is pleased to announce that Kelsey Montague has joined the organization as its new Associate Director of Marketing and Public Relations. Kelsey has spent her career developing robust marketing and media campaigns and social media strategies to help raise awareness and foster impact.
Kelsey is especially excited to define this new position and apply her skillset and background at IAALS. She looks forward to marrying her love of marketing and public relations with a career that makes a significant difference in the world.
We are excited to have Kelsey on our growing Communications team!
Read More.
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Partner Profile: Marcus Reinkensmeyer
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IAALS simply would not be what it is without the support of our staff, partners, and friends. This month, we profile Marcus Reinkensmeyer, Director of Court Services for the Administrative Office of the Courts, Arizona Supreme Court, and a member of IAALS' Board of Advisors.
Marcus has brought support, enthusiasm, availability, respectfulness, and a gentle mien to IAALS. We have been graced by his participation on our Board along with several others whose terms have ended this month: Alan Carlson, Gay Cook, Mark Nadeau, and Ken Thompson. We are so grateful for their commitment to IAALS.
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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 within the American legal system. |
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Engage—Connect—Invest
in the Future of the American Legal System |
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