We at IAALS are deeply saddened by the loss of former Colorado Supreme Court Justice Melissa Hart last week. She was a force of nature, with boundless energy and a vision for access to justice that has driven people, ideas, action, and system change nationally and locally in Colorado for decades. I encourage you to read more about the legacy she left through her work, the relationships she built, and the collective charge we all share to continue this work. 

As we celebrate IAALS’ 20th anniversary, we can see our impact through the past, present, and future. Jessica Bednarz and Sonja Ebron wrote an incredible article about IAALS’ history and dedication for the last two decades to building a broad ecosystem of providers and guiding best practices for innovation to ensure everyone has access to affordable legal help.

IAALS and the Duke Center on Law & Technology recently released a new toolkit to provide regulators with a clearer path to using prosecutorial guidance and non-prosecution policies to clarify the types of AI-powered legal-help tools they will and will not prioritize for UPL enforcement, while preserving meaningful consumer protections. Our Uncomplicated Courts Initiative Pilot Project is also now open to applications, providing one state or local court a funded opportunity to redesign how it handles high-volume civil cases.

Later this month, our Vision 2040 Summit will bring together innovators from law, business, technology, academia, and the community to ask an urgent question: What must justice look like in 2040—and what will it take to get there? From vision to action, the summit will bring together today's leaders to shape tomorrow’s justice system.

BRITTANY K.T. KAUFFMAN, CEO

October 2026

UNCOMPLICATED COURTS INITIATIVE PILOT PROJECT: FUNDED OPPORTUNITY FOR COURTS TO SIMPLIFY HIGH-VOLUME CIVIL PROCESSES

Applications are now open until October 23 for the Uncomplicated Courts Initiative Pilot Project! IAALS and the National Center for State Courts are seeking one state or local court to redesign how it handles a high-volume civil case type, such as debt collection, eviction, or small claims. The selected court will receive up to $30,000 in funding, a year of hands-on support from IAALS and NCSC, and help assessing, redesigning, and launching a simpler court process.

Judges, court administrators, clerks, self-help center staff, and other court stakeholders are encouraged to apply. The Uncomplicated Courts Initiative is a partnership between IAALS and the National Center for State Courts, with funding from the State Justice Institute. 

Click here to learn more and apply today. 

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. 

REMEMBERING JUSTICE MELISSA HART: A FORCE OF NATURE, A SPLENDID TORCH

We at IAALS are deeply saddened by the loss of former Colorado Supreme Court Justice Melissa Hart. Justice Hart was a champion for access to justice and remains an inspiration to all of us.

IAALS AND THE LEGAL PROFESSION: BUILDING MOMENTUM AND EXPANDING ACCESS

IAALS is dedicated to building a broad ecosystem of providers and guiding best practices for innovation to ensure everyone has access to affordable legal help.

CONSTITUTION DAY 2026: THE COURAGE TO IMAGINE—AND THE WORK THAT FOLLOWS

The constitutional framework of checks and balances, individual rights, judicial independence, and the rule of law remain essential to our democracy, but a commitment to our constitutional ideals also requires us to ask how our institutions can better fulfill them.

BUILDING THE PLANE WHILE FLYING IT: HOW COURT ADMINISTRATORS LEAD INNOVATION

IAALS gathered court administrators from across the country to learn about the leadership, challenges, and resources needed when innovating in courts.

IAALS AND DUKE CENTER ON LAW & TECHNOLOGY RELEASE NEW TOOLKIT TO EXPAND RESPONSIBLE AI-POWERED LEGAL HELP

The toolkit shows regulators how prosecutorial guidance can allow for AI tools to develop and serve people while preserving meaningful consumer protections.

CELEBRATING SANDRA DAY O'CONNOR

45 years ago, Sandra Day O’Connor made history as the first woman sworn in as a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. We at IAALS were fortunate to call Justice O’Connor a partner, colleague, and friend. In 2009, she joined forces with IAALS to advance judicial independence and strengthen the way judges are selected and retained, and IAALS' O’Connor Judicial Selection Plan continues to shape our work today. We’re proud to carry her vision forward and honored that her legacy is so deeply woven into IAALS’ own history.

VISION 2040 SUMMIT

The capstone of IAALS’ 20th year is not about looking back, it is about looking ahead. Our Vision 2040 Summit will bring together innovators from law, business, technology, academia, and the community to ask an urgent question: What must justice look like in 2040—and what will it take to get there?

Grounded in the values that have guided IAALS since its founding, the summit will challenge assumptions, spark collaboration, and chart a bold course for reform in the decades ahead—not just for IAALS but for all justice system stakeholders and leaders. Just as IAALS’ founders looked 20 years into the future when they launched the organization, the Vision 2040 Summit will set the trajectory for the next generation. It is both the culmination of our celebration and the ignition of our future.

From vision to action, the summit will bring together today's leaders to shape tomorrow’s justice system.

UPCOMING EVENTS, EXTERNAL SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS, AND ATTENDANCE:

• Oct. 7-8: ABA Access to Justice for All Forum (A2J Chairs Conference) (Indianapolis—Bednarz, Byram)
• Oct. 9: Utah Paralegal Association (Salt Lake City—Houlberg)
• Oct. 15-16: IAALS Vision 2040 Summit (Denver)
• Oct. 20-22: A2J Network Conference (Cincinnati—Byram, Kalil)
• Oct. 27-28: CLEAR National Convening (Atlanta—Cornett)
• Oct. 30: Toledo Bench and Bar Conference (Toledo—Kauffman)
• Nov. 4-6: NLADA Annual Conference (St. Louis—Kauffman)

• Sept. 2026: “SJI Newsletter” from the State Justice Institute
• Sept. 2026: “Request for Applications: Uncomplicated Courts Initiative Pilot Project” from the State Justice Institute
• Sept. 2026: “Rethinking Access to Justice” from the Oregon State Bar Bulletin 
• Sept. 11: “McGeorge professor joins Bar Association Accreditation Council for U.S. law schools” from the University of the Pacific
• Sept. 15: “Opting Out: Access to Justice Beyond Family Courts” from the University of Colorado Boulder
• Sept. 21: “What does Professional Discernment require of us?” from The AI of Law
• Sept. 21: “State Question 845: What Oklahoma voters need to know before November 3” from Public Radio Tulsa
• Sept. 22: “The SANDBOX Act Uses AI Policy as a Trojan Horse for Unfettered Deregulation” from the Center for American Progress
• Sept. 30: “A Performance Audit of the Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission” from the Utah Office of the Legislator Auditor General