Lorri Montgomery
Director of Communications
National Center for State Courts
757.259.1525
lmontgomery@ncsc.org
IAALS founder Rebecca Love Kourlis receives 2019 NCSC Distinguished Service Award
Williamsburg, Va., Sept. 14, 2019 – Rebecca Love Kourlis, founder and executive director of the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System, is the recipient of the National Center for State Courts' 2019 Distinguished Service Award, presented annually to individuals who have made significant contributions to the justice system and supported the mission of NCSC.
NCSC President Mary McQueen presented the award to Kourlis, who served as a justice on the Colorado Supreme Court from 1995 to 2006, on Sept. 14 in Denver during a ceremony honoring her 13 years at the helm of IAALS. She is retiring from IAALS this month.
NCSC is recognizing her for her many contributions to improving the justice system. McQueen praised Kourlis for her work on the Civil Justice Improvement Initiative, in which she and her staff worked side-by-side with NCSC. Launched to address the concerns that civil litigation takes too long and costs too much, the project developed recommendations aimed to transform the way state courts meet the needs of litigants in the 21st Century.
“This is extremely important, ground-breaking work,” McQueen said. “Becky has used her ingenuity, creativity and legal acumen to discover new and better ways to address the important legal system issues of our time.” McQueen recognized Kourlis for her “leadership, her sterling career of service to others, her support, advice and wise counsel given to the National Center, and for her entire body of work that has made a difference in so many lives and in a fundamental institution of our society – the courts.”
Before she served on the Colorado Supreme Court, Kourlis was a trial court judge, a lawyer in private practice, a mediator and an arbitrator.
The National Center for State Courts, headquartered in Williamsburg, Va., is a nonprofit court organization dedicated to improving the administration of justice by providing leadership and service to the state courts. Founded in 1971 by the Conference of Chief Justices and Chief Justice of the United States Warren E. Burger, NCSC provides education, training, technology, management, and research services to the nation’s state courts.