As a busy summer at IAALS rolls over into the fall, we look forward to beautiful fall days, connecting with partners at meetings and conferences across the country, and our own upcoming events. There are three webinars in September with highlights from key projects and partners in this work. We hope you find one that relates to your area of work and you can join us.

For the seventh time, we are opening nominations for our annual Alli Gerkman Legal Visionary Award. The prestigious award spotlights those who aren’t just envisioning a brighter future for our justice system, but are actively working to transform that vision into reality. We’re looking for emerging leaders and innovators—individuals who bring fresh perspectives and a reform-minded approach to improving the legal system.

If you know of anyone who you believe is doing innovative and important work that deserves to be spotlighted, do not hesitate to nominate them. This award is meant for them. 

BRITTANY K.T. KAUFFMAN, CEO

September 2026

NOMINATION WINDOW OPEN FOR 2027 LEGAL VISIONARY AWARD

Do you know someone with a bold vision for a more just legal system? Someone who has tirelessly worked to turn that vision into a reality? We want to hear about them and recognize their contributions.

IAALS has opened the nomination window for the 2027 Alli Gerkman Legal Visionary Award, which recognizes innovators who have made significant impacts early in their legal careers toward making the American legal system work better for everyone. IAALS is looking for remarkable candidates—we want to hear about people who not only dream of a brighter justice system but have actively worked to transform that vision into a reality. We’re seeking individuals who are breathing fresh life into old systems, working to reestablish public trust, and reshaping the future landscape of the legal profession. 

Nominations will be accepted through November 1, and the award will be presented in April 2027. Nominations can be made here. 

IAALS AND THE JUDICIARY: WHERE WE STARTED AND WHERE WE’RE HEADED

Over the last 20 years, IAALS has played a critical role in ensuring the judiciary is qualified, impartial, and trusted by the public it serves.

USING DATA TO MEASURE JUDICIAL INNOVATION IMPACT

At an IAALS judicial webinar, court leaders learned how to use data to evaluate the impact of their initiatives.

IAALS COLLABORATES WITH NEBRASKA STATE BAR ASSOCIATION TO UPDATE JUDICIAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

The Nebraska State Bar Association recently worked with IAALS to update the Judicial Evaluation Poll instrument. The revised instrument uses a new scale and focuses on qualities central to the judicial role, including judicial competence, impartiality, clarity of communication, judicial temperament, and administrative capacity.

The goal of these changes was to make the evaluation questions less subjective, more focused on observable behavior, and more useful in providing meaningful feedback to judges. Read more about the results of the new evaulation.

Learn more about IAALS' JPE 2.0 project and how we can help modernize your JPE program.

Legal aid and self-help centers are stretched thin, while a growing ecosystem of tech tools remains disconnected from the front lines of service. Legal tech tools are a growing and important segment of the ecosystem, and integrating them into existing resource and referral systems can increase access to legal help for people who need it. Participants will walk away with real-world case studies, practical integration blueprints, and actionable lessons learned from pioneers who have already done it.

NEXT UP:

Connecting the Ecosystem: Integrating Legal Tech into Self-Help & Legal Aid Systems

September 23, 2026

This webinar is open to all court administrators seeking to become catalysts for positive change in the legal system. Click here for more details on the entire series, to watch the recording of the previous webinars, and to register today!

NEXT UP IN THE SERIES:

Innovating in Courts: Practical Strategies for Court Administrators

September 29, 2026

Regulating AI and Legal Innovation: Lessons from Colorado and Tools for Your Jurisdiction

September 30, 2026

Generative AI and new models for delivering legal services are rapidly reshaping how people access legal help—and challenging traditional approaches to legal regulation. Regulators, courts, lawyers, and other stakeholders are confronting a fundamental question: How can regulation protect consumers while also making room for innovation that expands access to legal help?

Whether you are just beginning to explore legal regulatory reform or already serve on a committee, task force, or working group charged with advancing it, this session will provide both grounding in the national landscape and practical tools to help your jurisdiction take its next step.

Register today!

UPCOMING EVENTS, EXTERNAL SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS, AND ATTENDANCE:

• Sept. 11-12: American Civil Bar Roundtable (Washington, D.C.—Kauffman)
• Sept. 11: Colorado Access to Justice Commission Presentation (Denver—Cornett)
• Sept. 15: IAALS Lawyers Council Meeting (Denver)
• Sept. 17-18: American Law Institute: Principles of the Law, High-Volume Civil Adjudication Meeting (Philadelphia—Kauffman)
• Sept. 23: Connecting the Ecosystem: Integrating Legal Tech into Self-Help & Legal Aid Systems (Webinar)
• Sept. 29: Innovating in Courts: Practical Strategies for Court Administrators (Webinar)
• Sept. 29: Florida International University Law Firm Management Class (Virtual—Bednarz)
• Sept. 30: Regulating AI and Legal Innovation: Lessons from Colorado and Tools for Your Jurisdiction (Webinar)
• Oct. 7-9: ABA Access to Justice for All Forum (A2J Chairs Conference) (Indianapolis—Bednarz, Byram)
• Oct. 9: Utah Paralegal Association (Salt Lake City—Houlberg)
• Oct. 14: IAALS Board of Advisors meeting (Denver)
• Oct. 15-16: IAALS Vision 2040 Summit (Denver)
• Oct. 20-22: A2J Network Conference (Cincinnati—Kalil)
• Oct. 27-28: CLEAR National Convening (Atlanta—Cornett)
• Oct. 30: Toledo Bench and Bar Conference (Toledo—Kauffman)

• Aug. 11: “What Virginia Lawyers Should Know as Some States Embrace Nonlawyer Ownership of Law Firms” from the Virginia State Bar
• Aug. 17: “Is AI Changing What It Takes To Be a Great Lawyer? Insights from Selectees” from Super Lawyers
• Aug. 18: “No Campaigns, No Cash: How Colorado Selects Judges” from the Colorado Judicial Institute
• Aug. 20: “Banned Words for Access to Justice 4.0” from the Chicago Bar Foundation
• Aug. 31: “Do Both Parents Have to Agree on a Parenting Plan?” from Vanden Heuvel & Dineen, S.C.

Noteworthy

• 2026: “Who’s the Lawyer Now? Professional Identity in a GenAI World” from the Journal of Legal Education
• 2026: “What AI Can’t Say: Oral Competence In Legal Education” from the Santa Clara Law Review
• Aug. 11: “What Virginia Lawyers Should Know as Some States Embrace Nonlawyer Ownership of Law Firms” from the Virginia State Bar
• Aug. 19: “Evaluating LLM legal advice on underspecified user queries” from Thomson Reuters
• Aug. 21: “Learning Beyond the Classroom: The Administrative Space as a Laboratory for AI Literacy” from the University of Illinois Law Review
• Aug. 29: “How to Become a Lawyer in New Hampshire: Two Days of Exam or Two Years of Proof” from Granite State Report