Kenosha County court officials cite backlog, attorney shortage and small-claims changes that could increase filings Clerk of circuit court Rebecca Metaska Mentek and an unnamed county judge reported a shrinking but still-large docket backlog (the judge said he had 967 pending cases), flagged a statewide attorney shortage, and warned a pending law raising small-claims limits to $15,000 could increase filings and caseload pressure.

Kenosha County's court system is facing a looming crisis with a backlog of 967 cases and a new law that could drastically increase small-claims filings.

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#KenoshaCounty #WI #CourtFinances #CitizenPortal #AttorneyShortage #CaseBacklog

UNM Law dean asks Judiciary Committee for $15.5 million, outlines enrollment and bar supports UNM School of Law Dean Camille Carey briefed the House Judiciary Committee on enrollment (300 total, 108 1Ls), a 73% recent bar passage rate and programs to boost student success, and requested $15,500,000 to renovate and connect an adjacent building to expand classrooms, student services and event space.

UNM Law is seeking $15.5 million to transform its facilities and tackle New Mexico's lawyer shortage—could this be the solution our legal system needs?

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#NM #AccessToJustice #NewMexicoLaw #LegalEducation #AttorneyShortage #CitizenPortal

Marathon County judges and staff warn attorney shortages are slowing cases, canceling court dates Judge O'Neil told the Public Safety Committee that shortages in prosecutors and public defenders have grown worse, forcing at least one court cancellation and prompting renewed local efforts on recruitment and case‑processing reforms.

Marathon County is facing a crisis as attorney shortages have forced the cancellation of court dates, leaving justice hanging in the balance.

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#MarathonCounty #WI #MarathonCountyPublicSafety #AttorneyShortage #LegalReform #CourtAccess #CitizenPortal

Legislature establishes law school loan repayment program for public defenders and prosecutors New program prioritizes loan repayment for rural public defense and prosecution attorneys

A groundbreaking bill in Washington aims to lighten the financial load for public defenders and prosecutors, potentially transforming legal representation in rural areas.

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#WA #RuralLegalAid #JusticeAccess #AttorneyShortage #CitizenPortal

Kansas grapples with attorney shortage as caseloads rise and recruitment efforts intensify Kansas addresses attorney shortfall, but rising case volumes threaten to overwhelm defense resources.

Kansas is facing a critical attorney shortage as rising case volumes threaten to overwhelm its legal system—what innovative solutions are being proposed to tackle this crisis?

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#Kansas #KansasLegalSystem #CitizenPortal #PublicDefense #AttorneyShortage #CaseBacklog