Changes to ABA accreditation standard addressing race and diversity meet pushback

Contentious proposed changes to the ABA’s diversity and inclusion standard go too far and could reverse progress made toward making law schools diverse, according to several legal education groups that wrote to the council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

Oct 3, 2024 1:29 PM CDT

Seeing it

I have been thinking about our association. It’s a wonderful home. Full of history. Tradition. Friends. It’s a familiar place with familiar experiences, faces, acronyms, entities. It’s comfortable. I like it all. But does everyone feel that way?

Oct 1, 2024 3:10 AM CDT

Steady in the Storm: ABA leaders steer a course to protect democracy and the association

“These are extraordinary times,” Mary Smith told the House of Delegates at the 2024 ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago in her final address as president. “Last year, I told you to run toward the storm. Well, my friends, we are in the storm. The importance of the role of lawyers has never been clearer.”

Oct 1, 2024 12:50 AM CDT

Tread Carefully: Survivors of sexual assault should not have to disclose that abuse for bar admission, House says

Applying to be admitted to the bar often involves listing any encounters you may have had with the justice system. But for some hopeful lawyers, this means having to disclose they have been the victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, sexual harassment or stalking.

Oct 1, 2024 12:40 AM CDT

Firms should consider billable hour credit for DEI and bar association work

Many firms already credit pro bono hours toward their attorneys’ billable hour requirements. But what about the time attorneys devote to bar association activities and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives?

Oct 1, 2024 12:30 AM CDT

Justice for Survivors: ABA Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence marks 30 years of advocacy

Oct 1, 2024 12:20 AM CDT

ABA Notices - October-November 2024

Oct 1, 2024 12:15 AM CDT

ABA will bring lawyers to the UK to celebrate historic 1924 visit

In 1924, J. Carroll Hayes penned a detailed account of “a most unique occurrence in the legal world”—the first ABA visit to the United Kingdom. This fall, the International Law Section will commemorate this historic meeting of the minds with “100 Years of the ABA in the United Kingdom: Tradition, Innovation and Influence.”

Sep 26, 2024 12:22 PM CDT

California law deans have ‘grave concerns’ about new bar exam plans

Fifteen deans from ABA-accredited law schools have signed a letter to the California Supreme Court stating that they have “grave concerns” about Kaplan Exam Services’ ability to develop a multiple-choice bar exam “in a responsible manner” in time for the February 2025 administration of the newfangled exam.

Sep 20, 2024 12:54 PM CDT

Lawyers see influx in Americans seeking second passports

With the upcoming presidential election, Generation X nearing retirement and the continuation of “work from anywhere” policies, many Americans are looking to lawyers for help with their “Plan B”—obtaining dual citizenship and leaving the country, according to attorneys contacted by the ABA Journal.

Sep 18, 2024 1:41 PM CDT

Americans’ trust in government and elections differs by party affiliation, new report finds

With the November 2024 presidential election less than two months away, a new report by the World Justice Project is ringing alarm bells about American skepticism in the election process, political polarization and an overall lack of faith in government accountability.

Sep 17, 2024 12:01 AM CDT

Judge’s advocacy for domestic violence survivors changed Arizona laws

“When I first became a judge, law enforcement and judges basically had the same attitude for domestic violence,” says Judge Elizabeth Finn. “They were quote unquote ‘family disputes,’ and we just wanted them to go away.”

Sep 12, 2024 3:15 PM CDT

Nevada green-lights three-pronged plan to licensure

Nevada will move forward on its proposal for a unique three-stage assessment for bar licensure that does not include using the National Conference of Bar Examiners’ new NextGen bar exam—but might include the test being developed by Kaplan Exam Services for the State Bar of California.

Sep 12, 2024 2:24 PM CDT

Getting ready for retirement is easier than you think

Most people start thinking about and saving for their retirement in their 50s, timing they invariably regret. In my career, I have conducted well over 100 retirement seminars. I can attest that at the end of every seminar, attendees undoubtedly say, “I wish I had taken this course sooner” and “Why didn’t I start to plan for my retirement earlier?”

Sep 11, 2024 1:30 PM CDT

Stressed and depressed, only 34% of young lawyers with highest student debt say JD was worth cost, new ABA survey says

High student debt is affecting the emotional well-being of young lawyers and affecting their life decisions, according to a 2024 survey by the ABA Young Lawyers Division released Monday.

Sep 9, 2024 1:18 PM CDT