Judicial Performance Evaluation is IAALS summer hit

If we were to choose our blockbuster, it would surely be Judicial Performance Evaluation (JPE). This summer, several exciting new IAALS initiatives will reach JPE audiences across the country.

On July 1, a new bill that strengthens the process of evaluating Colorado's judges takes effect. IAALS worked closely with Colorado policy makers and a coalition of key organizations, including the Colorado Judicial Institute and the Colorado Bar Association, to develop and support the new legislation.

Colorado is not alone in its efforts to improve the process of judicial performance evaluations. Courts and entities in half a dozen other states are working to establish or strengthen their systems of evaluating judges. In August, IAALS will host a national, invitational conference entitled Judicial Performance Evaluation: Strategies for Success.

IAALS has also released a new study, The Bench Speaks on Judicial Performance Evaluation: A Survey of Colorado Judges. This study, produced in collaboration with Professor David Brody from Washington State University, surveyed Colorado judges to gauge their views on the state's JPE program. Please click here to download your copy.

With so many developments in JPE, IAALS has worked to keep the issue on the radar screens of reporters. To view our recent coverage, please click here.

This summer, we will launch a new portion of our Web site that will provide comprehensive information about JPE in the United States, so keep an eye on our site for this valuable new feature.

Two IAALS reports illuminate the challenges of e-discovery

With the business community's growing appetite for information about electronic discovery, IAALS will release two new publications on the issue. The first report, The Emerging Challenge of Electronic Discovery: Strategies for American Businesses, presents businesses and organizations with proactive recommendations for sound e-discovery practices. Electronic Discovery: A View from the Front Lines, provides a real-time snapshot of today's electronic discovery landscape.

Since the publication of our first e-discovery report last year, IAALS has emerged as an important source of information on the issue. As such, Executive Director Rebecca Love Kourlis will serve as the keynote speaker for the Corporate E-discovery Program at Georgetown Law Center in November.

Both new IAALS reports will be available in mid-July, so please visit our Web site to download a free PDF or purchase the hard copy version.

 

IAALS Executive Director addresses audiences nationwide

Executive Director Rebecca Love Kourlis has traveled coast to coast in recent months serving on panels and giving speeches about IAALS initiatives. Kourlis served as the keynote speaker for the League of Women Voters' Annual Convention in Portland in June. Additionally, she took part in the O'Connor Conference on the Independence of the Judiciary at Fordham University and Stanford University Law School's State of the Profession discussion. Learn more about summer appearances in our next issue.

 

Later this summer, IAALS will release the most comprehensive Federal caseflow management study completed in over a decade.

IAALS will highlight key findings from our Civil Litigation Reform Project survey, in which we sought to identify causes of dissatisfaction with the system, disproportionate costs and delays.