ABA

ABA House of Delegates approves novel virtual currency draft legislation

The American Bar Association's House of Delegates approved a draft uniform law regarding virtual currency businesses for states to adopt.

Feb 9, 2018 7:00 AM CST

Resolutions on needs of homeless youth win ABA House approval, applause

The needs of homeless youth were addressed in resolutions passed by the ABA House of Delegates on Monday. The ABA Commission on Homelessness and Poverty sponsored two resolutions at the 2018 ABA Midyear Meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia. Resolution 113 calls for “integrated, systemic approaches within administrative, civil and criminal…

Feb 5, 2018 10:20 PM CST

Ban death penalty for those 21 or younger, ABA House says

The ABA House of Delegates on Monday asked all death penalty jurisdictions to ban capital punishment for any offender who committed their crime at the age of 21 or younger. In the report accompanying the resolution, the chairs of the Death Penalty Due Process Review Project and the Section of…

Feb 5, 2018 9:56 PM CST

DOJ should consider whether new charging policy is likely to achieve justice, ABA House says

In accordance with the ABA’s long-standing support for prosecutorial discretion and sentencing reform, Resolution 108C asks the Department of Justice to reconsider the guidelines laid out in a May 2017 memorandum issued by Attorney General Jeff Sessions to all federal prosecutors. In that memorandum, Sessions directed that “prosecutors should charge…

Feb 5, 2018 9:36 PM CST

Congress should enact legislation allowing DACA recipients to apply for citizenship, ABA House says

The ABA House of Delegates on Monday passed a resolution urging Congress to put legislation in place allowing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients and others to apply for permanent legal status and citizenship. Beyond DACA recipients, Resolution 108E, passed by the ABA House of Delegates at the midyear meeting…

Feb 5, 2018 9:27 PM CST

Sessions should reverse policy denying Title VII protection for transgender people, votes ABA House

Employment discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation should be prohibited under a proper interpretation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, according to a resolution passed overwhelmingly by the ABA House of Delegates on Monday at the ABA Midyear Meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia. It…

Feb 5, 2018 9:10 PM CST

ABA takes timely stand on sex harassment

In one of its final acts at the 2018 Midyear Meeting, the ABA House of Delegates has taken a stand against sexual harassment, approving a resolution to urge all employers to create and enforce effective sexual harassment policies.

Feb 5, 2018 9:01 PM CST

Provide legal counsel at public expense for when physical liberty is at stake, ABA House urges

Legislatures should pass laws ensuring that low-income people are provided with legal counsel at public expense for any proceeding—criminal or civil and regardless of whether it was initiated by a governmental entity—which could result in the loss of their physical liberty, according to a resolution passed by the ABA House…

Feb 5, 2018 8:33 PM CST

ABA House resolutions address juror discrimination, remedies for convictions based on bad science

The ABA House of Delegates overwhelmingly passed two resolutions related to criminal trials on Monday at the ABA Midyear Meeting at Vancouver, British Columbia. In the wake of numerous news stories about flawed forensic science and mix-ups and malfeasance at labs, the House was asked to approve a call for…

Feb 5, 2018 8:30 PM CST

ABA should ‘trumpet the essential values of our democracy,’ says president-elect nominee Martinez

The ABA remains the voice of the legal profession, says ABA president-elect nominee Judy Perry Martinez, and “we must use that voice to trumpet the essential values of our democracy.” Martinez addressed the ABA House of Delegates on Monday at the 2018 ABA Midyear Meeting in Vancouver. She opened by…

Feb 5, 2018 7:15 PM CST

‘We will not stand by and say nothing’ when democratic principles are challenged, ABA president says

In her first six months as ABA president, Hilarie Bass has traveled the globe, visiting a dozen countries and some 30 cities.

She shared one moment from those visits with the ABA’s House of Delegates on Monday.

Feb 5, 2018 6:59 PM CST

ABA executive director urges increased efforts to reverse decline in paid membership

Updated: ABA Executive Director Jack Rives called on ABA leadership Monday to take action to increase lawyer members.

Feb 5, 2018 5:00 PM CST

ABA House passes measure urging curbs on solitary confinement: ‘This is inhumane’

The ABA House of Delegates approved a call to curtail the use of solitary confinement. Legislatures were urged to draw up laws allowing solitary confinement “only in exceptional cases as a measure of last resort, where less restrictive settings are insufficient, and for no longer than is necessary to address…

Feb 5, 2018 4:46 PM CST

Privacy law specialty certification program narrowly approved after spirited debate in ABA House

A spirited debate preceded Monday’s vote by the ABA House of Delegates to allow the accreditation of a privacy law specialty certification program. The program was proposed by the International Association of Privacy Professionals from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The Standing Committee on Specialization from the ABA Center for Professional Responsibility…

Feb 5, 2018 2:14 PM CST

Female litigators should be given equal opportunities to gain trial experience, ABA House urges

Law firms, corporate clients, general counsel and the judiciary should all be taking steps to provide women with more opportunities to gain trial and courtroom experience, the ABA House of Delegates resolved Monday.

Feb 5, 2018 1:05 PM CST