About the Rhode Center

Through a multidisciplinary approach to teaching, research, and policy, the Rhode Center works to make civil justice more equitable, accessible, and transparent and to promote the legal profession’s commitment to the public interest.

The Rhode Center’s current work focuses on:

reforming legal services regulation to increase innovation and access to justice;
understanding and shaping the role of technology in law and the courts;
protecting consumers and clients in civil litigation; and
legal education in the 21st century.

Our Focus

Access to Justice and Regulatory Reform

The U.S. is in the grips of an access-to-justice crisis among people with civil legal problems. The Center promotes access to justice through policy and system-level reform, as well as designing technology-based and other tools and services to help people access legal assistance.

Courts and Lawyers in the Digital Age

A wave of new technologies is transforming the legal system. These developments call for bold and incisive debate about the law, policy, and ethics of technology. We contribute to this conversation and work to equip the court and lawyer leaders with tools they will need to help society chart a wise, ethical, and humane course.

Protecting Consumers and Clients in Litigation

The civil legal system is experiencing fundamental transformation, new challenges, and immense opportunity. The Rhode Center is dedicated to a rigorous assessment of whether and how the legal system and the actors within it protect clients and consumers, particularly those entangled in complex litigation.

Legal Education in the 21st Century

The practice of law is changing rapidly. We are developing new pedagogical practices, that are deeply practical, to teach legal ethics.