Washington State has become the latest U.S. jurisdiction to experiment with regulatory reform in the legal sector by relaxing restrictions on who can practise law. Beginning as early as October 2025, the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) will accept applications from law firms, nonprofits, and technology-driven organisations seeking to participate in a 10-year pilot programme…
Proposed amendments to Colorado’s rules of professional conduct to address artificial intelligence
The Colorado Supreme Court has invited public comment on proposed amendments to the Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct (RPCs) to explicitly address the ethical and professional implications of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), in legal practice. The amendments aim to clarify lawyers’ duties of competence and diligence in an era of rapid technological change….
Texas plans to end American Bar Association’s role in state’s law school oversight
The Texas Supreme Court has signalled its intention to end the American Bar Association’s (ABA) longstanding role in accrediting law schools for bar admission purposes, marking the first such move by a U.S. state. In a preliminary order issued on 27 September 2025, the court stated its “tentative opinion” that the ABA should no longer…
AI yet to deliver cost savings, according to Wells Fargo Data
A new survey from Wells Fargo’s Legal Specialty Group highlights that while U.S. law firms are investing heavily in artificial intelligence (AI), the technology has not yet delivered measurable financial savings. Spending on generative AI and related technologies pushed law firm overhead costs up by 8.6% in the first half of 2025, excluding employment costs….
American Bar Association adopts policy on law firm intimidation, immigration issues
At its Annual Meeting in Toronto on 11–12 August 2025, the American Bar Association (ABA) House of Delegates adopted more than 50 new policy measures, covering issues from the protection of lawyers to immigration enforcement, education, civil rights, and free expression. Among the most prominent was Resolution 509, opposing government punishment or threats against lawyers…
What is on the journey to practice and what drives them?
A joint study by US non-profit organisations, the Pennsylvania-based Law School Admission Council (LSAC) and Illinois’ Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession (IILP), profiles the backgrounds, motivations, and career aspirations of today’s law students. The findings reveal that the 2024 first-year cohort is the most diverse yet, with 41.8% from racial or ethnic minority…
What skills do new lawyers need? Lawyers asked to provide answers in new survey
The Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS) at the University of Denver and the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) have launched the Foundations 2.0 survey to gather insights from practicing lawyers on the skills and competencies new lawyers need in today’s evolving legal landscape. As artificial intelligence and emerging technologies reshape…
Guidelines for creating reciprocity between allied legal professional programs
With seven U.S. states now operating Allied Legal Professional (ALP) programs, momentum is building for greater reciprocity across jurisdictions. Building Bridges, a report released on June 18, 2025, by IAALS and authored by Michael Houlberg, Courtney Petersen-Rhead, and Kristy Clairmont, outlines a strategic framework to guide states in creating reciprocity rules that support the growth…
Ohio Supreme Court to review American Bar Association accreditation for lawyers as political pressures mount
Ohio has become the third U.S. state, after Texas and Florida, to consider dropping the requirement that lawyers must graduate from an American Bar Association (ABA)-accredited law school to qualify for admission to the bar. The Supreme Court of Ohio announced on July 18, 2025, that it has established an advisory committee to evaluate its…
Wisconsin Bar redefines ‘diversity’ to settle discrimination lawsuit
The State Bar of Wisconsin has revised its definition of “diversity” in response to a two-year legal challenge brought by the conservative legal group, Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL), which alleged the bar’s leadership programs discriminated on the basis of race. The bar will now define diversity more broadly, focusing on “differing characteristics,…