The Institute of Judicial Administration hosted its 29th Annual William J. Brennan, Jr. Lecture on State Courts & Social Justice at NYU School of Law. This year’s lecture, titled “Our Legal Institutions Must Change. But How?”, was delivered by Melissa Hart of the Colorado Supreme Court. Welcoming remarks were provided by Troy A. McKenzie and Samuel Estreicher of NYU School of Law, followed by an introduction by Travis Lenkner of Burford Capital.
Hart’s lecture explored the pressing need for reform in legal education, bar admission, and access to justice—issues at the core of the Conference of Chief Justices and Conference of State Court Administrators’ 2023 Resolution 1. That resolution led to the formation of the Working Committee on Legal Education and Admissions Reform (CLEAR), which is assessing:
- The disconnect between legal education and the skills required for practice
- The shortcomings of the current bar exam in assessing minimum competence
- The growing access-to-justice gap and its impact on public trust in the legal system
Hart discussed the national conversation surrounding these challenges, including proposed reforms and the resistance they face within entrenched legal institutions.
Video courtesy of NYU School of Law.