The Connecticut Bar Association (CBA) will host a video conference meeting of the State of the Legal Profession Task Force on Thursday, March 26, from noon to 1:30 p.m. The meeting will feature leaders in the law from across the country such as Utah Supreme Court Justice Constandinos "Deno" Himonas, American Bar Foundation Faculty Fellow Rebecca L. Sandefur, and University of Denver’s Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System Manager Zachariah DeMeola to address how lawyers, courts, law schools, and bar associations can help to close the access to justice gap through innovations in the legal market. They will also discuss how to meet the needs of 80 percent of the US population with legal problems who are currently not receiving any legal services, and often are operating outside of the legal system. Space is limited; call (860)223-4400 to reserve your seat or register online.
“We are excited to have Connecticut join in this important national conversation about the state of the legal profession,” said State of the Legal Profession Task Force Co-Chair Judge Elizabeth A. Bozzuto. “We thank CBA President Ndidi N. Moses for gathering together a broad, experienced, and committed group of practitioners and judges to research, evaluate, and consider these forward-thinking concepts to address the practice of law in the 21st century.”
This is the second meeting of the task force, which was convened in December 2019, and is led by Co-Chairs Judge Bozzuto of the Connecticut Superior Court and Attorney Patrick T. Clendenen of Clendenen & Shea LLC; along with Vice-Chair Kyle J. LaBuff of the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice. The task force's goal is to ensure the sustainability of the legal profession by beginning a dialogue with the Connecticut legal community and making recommendations regarding how the legal profession can reduce costs, improve efficiency, and better manage legal dockets.
The task force will review and build on the knowledge and work product created by the American Bar Association and numerous task forces across the country to advance opportunities for lawyers to practice law in a more sustainable, financially viable, and customer-centric manner.
This task force builds on the recommendations proposed in 2006 by the CBA's Future of the Legal Profession Task Force and complements the Connecticut Judicial Branch's Access to Justice Commission, which was convened by then-Chief Justice Chase T. Rogers in 2011. The commission, which is currently chaired by Justice Maria A. Kahn, is working to increase access to justice for all people by identifying and removing barriers. Additionally, the CBA task force will also work to develop cost-effective and efficient legal support models legal professionals can use, partnering with online legal service providers and other business and technology entities, and educating lawyers on the ethics rules, including limited scope. The task force is one of many convened around the country seeking to address the access to justice gap, by addressing issues in the legal system itself.
On February 17, 2020, the American Bar Association passed Resolution 115 which encourages all states to begin the work already underway in Connecticut. Specifically, Resolution 115 "calls for state regulators and bar associations to explore regulatory innovations that have the potential to improve the accessibility, affordability, and quality of legal services."
To access the recording please click here.