ABA

Law school still out of compliance with ABA admissions standard and dealing with fraud allegations

Texas Southern University's Thurgood Marshall School of Law remains out of compliance with an ABA admissions standard, according to a notice posted Wednesday by the council of the ABA's Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

May 21, 2020 2:35 PM CDT

Silver Gavel Awards honor works on jailing pregnant women, judicial indiscretion

The six recipients of this year’s Silver Gavel Awards for Media and the Arts shine a light into little explored corners of the legal system, from the obscure laws that criminalize pregnant women to the harmful role judges played during the opioid epidemic.

May 20, 2020 11:03 AM CDT

Missouri execution is first since coronavirus pandemic declared; ABA had urged delay

A Missouri inmate who was executed Tuesday evening had continued to maintain his innocence up until his final breaths. Walter Barton, 64, was executed by lethal injection after the U.S. Supreme Court denied a stay application.

May 20, 2020 9:48 AM CDT

Expanded online law school classes could continue under plan endorsed by ABA legal ed council

The council of the ABA's Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar would have more authority to enact short-term, emergency policies and procedures for schools under a proposed law school accreditation rule change endorsed Friday by the council.

May 15, 2020 4:45 PM CDT

Student loan relief scholarships awarded to 3 ABA members who ‘make a positive impact on the world around them’

Those looking for some good news have come to the right place.

May 13, 2020 10:15 AM CDT

Bipartisan legislation passed helps Americans and businesses impacted by the coronavirus

COVID-19 reportedly surfaced in Wuhan, China, last December. On March 11, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the virus to be a global pandemic, and two days after that, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency. This abrupt chain of events has transformed every aspect of our world,…

May 13, 2020 7:00 AM CDT

New members for next term are slated for ABA legal ed section’s council

The council nominating committee of the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar has announced its slate for the 2020-2021 term, with three new members at large.

May 12, 2020 11:45 AM CDT

ABA legal ed section contemplates rule change in light of novel coronavirus

A proposal to change an ABA law school accreditation rule, which would allow for temporary relief in regional and national emergencies, is now being considered.

May 8, 2020 3:08 PM CDT

ABA rates DC Circuit nominee ‘well qualified’ after finding him ‘not qualified’ for trial bench

U.S. District Judge Justin Walker has a new and higher rating from the ABA as he appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday for a hearing on his nomination the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

May 6, 2020 2:18 PM CDT

More than half of Americans support online voting during COVID-19 pandemic, second ABA civics survey shows

As the COVID-19 pandemic quickly spread across the country, the ABA pivoted its second annual survey of civic literacy to gauge Americans’ support for online voting, as well as their thoughts on how the government should respond to a national emergency.

May 1, 2020 3:56 PM CDT

ABA Annual Meeting will be held online, Board of Governors decides

In response to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, the ABA Board of Governors decided Thursday that this year's annual meeting will be entirely virtual.

Apr 30, 2020 6:15 PM CDT

Want to provide COVID-19 pro bono help? Try this new portal launched by ABA and Paladin

Lawyers who want to provide pro bono help to people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and other disasters can sign up at a new pro bono portal launched Thursday.

Apr 30, 2020 9:36 AM CDT

Is a client using your legal services to commit a crime? New ethics opinion outlines your duty to inquire

Lawyers have ethical duties to inquire whether a client is seeking to use their services to commit fraud or other criminal activity.

Apr 29, 2020 4:35 PM CDT

ABE Opportunity Grants support projects focusing on elder law, immigrant rights

For the fourth year in a row, the American Bar Endowment is supporting organizations that focus on addressing the urgent legal needs of underserved communities across the country.

Apr 27, 2020 10:00 AM CDT

Utah is first state to grant diploma privilege during novel coronavirus pandemic

Because of the COVID-19 crisis, the Utah Supreme Court approved temporary diploma privilege Tuesday for individuals who are scheduled to take the July bar exam and graduated from ABA-accredited law schools with first-time bar passage rates of at least 86%.

Apr 22, 2020 11:05 AM CDT