Progress

Innovation for Justice is designed to radically transform access to justice for systemically disinvested communities across the U.S.

Take a look at the change we’ve unlocked since our launch in 2018.

2018

August

University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law logo

2020

April

June

  • Arizona becomes the first state to authorize a community-based justice worker model through explicit modification of its relevant UPL restriction: Innovation for Justice’s Domestic Violence Legal Advocates (“DVLA,” formerly “Licensed Legal Advocate”) Initiative. 

  • The DVLA Initiative is launched as a county-specific pilot with community partner Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse in Pima County, AZ.

July

November

December

2021

April

  • Two i4J-trained lay advocates at Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse launch in Pima County, Arizona, becoming the state’s first community-based justice workers through i4J’s Domestic Violence Legal Advocate Initiative.

May

  • Holy Cross Ministries, in partnership with Innovation for Justice, secures Utah Sandbox authorization for the Medical Debt Legal Advocate Initiative, becoming i4J’s first community-based justice worker model in Utah.

  • In response to recommendations made during i4J’s UX evaluation of Utah’s online dispute resolution platform, the Utah State Courts adopts mandated court forms that contain simplified URLs and QR codes that direct readers to three pages of the Utah State Court Self-Help Center website. i4J conducted a UX Evaluation of the Self-Help Center website.

    August

  • Innovation for Justice expands to University of Utah David Eccles School of Business!

University of Utah David Eccles School of Business  logo

2022

January

  • i4J presents a proposal to the Arizona Supreme Court and Utah Supreme Court recommending an expansion of allied legal professional programs. This proposal will eventually become the Housing Stability Legal Advocate Initiative, receiving Court authorization in both states in 2023.

March

May

August

2023

January

March

April

  • i4J’s UX evaluation and prototype redesign of Benefactor, Alaska’s Social Security benefits application navigator tool, wins the Best in Digital Health Award at Bench to Bedside, Utah's top health care innovation competition. 

  • i4J published an updated Housing Stability Legal Advocate report now that the Initiative has authorization in both states. 

May

  • The first i4J-trained Medical Debt Legal Advocates complete coursework and begin providing limited-scope legal services at community partner Holy Cross Ministries in Utah.

June

December

2024

January

February

  • i4J enrolls a joint statewide cohort of 37 advocates from 22 community-based organizations to its Domestic Violence Legal Advocate and Housing Stability Legal Advocate Initiatives in Arizona.

March

May

  • i4J becomes a subrecipient of a $1.4 million grant awarded by the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women to the National Center for State Courts (NCSC). The grant will allow i4J to assist NCSC in providing technical assistance to implement the Ensuring Safety and Access in Virtual Civil Protection Order Processes Project.