Lamm, a White & Case Partner, Becomes ABA President #ABAChicago

Carolyn Lamm. Photo by REP3

Carolyn Lamm, an international trade and litigation lawyer at the Washington, D.C. office of White & Case, assumed the presidency of the ABA today, telling the House of Delegates that “the term rule of law may sound like an abstraction, but history is full of evidence that reminds us otherwise.”

Drawing on historical references as diverse as Anne Frank; her father, who stormed the beaches of Normandy; and Martin Luther King Jr., Lamm said: “We know there are still young [women] in hiding, still young men landing on beaches, and still people who sit in dark rooms waiting for doors to open.”

“As imperfect as our nation was, we struggled toward justice. And it is not just the rule of law but the rule of just law” for which we strive, she said.

Noting the ABA’s motto is “Defending Liberty, Pursuing Justice,” Lamm said “defending and pursuing are not inactive verbs. We must constantly upgrade our programs, processes and relationships with our members.”

She said her year in office will include five initiatives:

• Help lawyers weather the tough economy. She’ll appoint a commission to help lawyers displaced and members of the public harmed by the economy.

• Study the regulation of lawyers. The Commission on Ethics 20/20 will consider how ethics rules should change. It is expected to take more than one year to issue recommendations.

• Increase the ABA’s advocacy for the profession and public.

• Boost diversity and make the legal profession better reflect the society it serves.

• Draw more lawyers into the ABA, so the organization is better able to advocate for the profession. Proposals to change ABA dues pricing will be presented to the House of Delegates in February, she said.

Lamm is a former president of the District of Columbia Bar and was named one of the 50 Most Influential Women in America by the National Law Journal in 2007.

Also see:

ABA Journal: "Firm Hand for Hard Times: Incoming ABA President Carolyn Lamm seeks aid for lawyers facing economic woes"

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