ABA

ABA opposes legislation that could endanger unaccompanied immigrant children

The ABA is opposing federal legislation that it maintains would strip critical legal and other protections from unaccompanied immigrant children at the U.S. border and undermine the fairness and integrity of the nation’s immigration system.

Sep 1, 2017 1:10 AM CDT

ABA Announcements

2018 REGULAR STATE DELEGATE ELECTION Pursuant to §6.3(a) of the ABA’s Constitution, 17 states will elect State Delegates for three-year terms beginning at the adjournment of the 2017 Annual Meeting. The states conducting elections and election rules and procedures can be found at ambar.org/2018StateDelegateElection. 2017 STATE DELEGATE ELECTION (Vacancy) Pursuant…

Sep 1, 2017 1:05 AM CDT

Vision of Success: Future of the legal profession requires change the ABA can provide

The future is upon us and never before has there been a more urgent need for the American Bar Association to lead the way toward change in the profession and a better understanding of the rule of law among our citizens.

Sep 1, 2017 12:50 AM CDT

Is diversity all talk? (podcast)

Diversity at law firms, especially at the higher levels of partnership, continues to be a hot topic of discussion. But is that all that it is, a discussion item?

Aug 25, 2017 12:26 PM CDT

9th Circuit’s use of technology is argument against splitting it, ABA tells Senate subcommittee

The ABA has reaffirmed its opposition to breaking up the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law has scheduled a hearing for Thursday in Phoenix titled “Rebooting the Ninth Circuit: Why Technology Cannot Solve Its Problems.” “Contrary to the…

Aug 23, 2017 5:00 PM CDT

‘It is our patriotic duty as Americans to stand up to bigotry,’ ABA president says

Hilarie Bass, president of the American Bar Association, released a statement Thursday saying that the organization is committed to principles of equality and justice in the United States and denounces individuals who try to subvert those values. “The ABA believes it is our patriotic duty as Americans to stand up…

Aug 17, 2017 4:26 PM CDT

ABA Legal Fact Check website launched to help public sort fact from fiction

On Thursday, the ABA announced the launch of a new online resource, ABA Legal Fact Check. “In a world with multiple sources of information, it is often difficult to distinguish between fact and opinion,” said ABA President Hilarie Bass in a press release. “Through our new ABA Legal Fact Check,…

Aug 17, 2017 3:44 PM CDT

Members of ABA’s Commission on the Future of Legal Education named

Redesigning legal education will be a priority for Hilarie Bass, the American Bar Association’s new president, and on Wednesday she announced the 10 members of a commission that will work on the issue. A joint statement (PDF) from Bass and Maureen O’Rourke, the new chair of the council of the…

Aug 16, 2017 3:45 PM CDT

Courthouses should not be used for routine immigration arrests, ABA House says in resolution

Corrected: On Tuesday, the ABA House of Delegates voted to urge U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to treat courthouses as sensitive locations and to only conduct such arrests there “upon a showing of exigent circumstances and with prior approval of a designated supervisory official.”…

Aug 15, 2017 2:47 PM CDT

Charlotte School of Law closes after ABA legal ed council rejects teach-out plan

Updated: After being placed on probation, losing federal student loans and enduring months of speculation, the teach-out plan that Charlotte School of Law submitted to the council of the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar has been rejected. Under North Carolina law, Charlotte School of Law…

Aug 15, 2017 2:17 PM CDT

President-elect Robert Carlson calls for more cooperation between ABA and state and local bars

Robert M. Carlson of Corette Black Carlson & Mickelson of Butte, Montana, has assumed the role of president-elect of the American Bar Association and is scheduled to become president for the 2018-2019 term.

Aug 15, 2017 12:19 PM CDT

Judges should receive anti-bias training, ABA House says

The issue of implicit bias has been a hot topic for the legal community, and combating it has previously been the subject of ABA efforts. New ABA President Hilarie Bass, who began her term at the close of the 2017 ABA Annual Meeting Tuesday, even created a task force to…

Aug 15, 2017 11:52 AM CDT

New ABA President Hilarie Bass touts lawyers’ role in protecting democracy

Updated: The American Bar Association’s new president, Hilarie Bass, appeared to be speaking partly to nonmembers on Monday when she talked about her own experiences in the organization and its ability to make changes that enhance public confidence in the justice system. The ABA is a powerful organization that can…

Aug 15, 2017 10:39 AM CDT

ABA House backs ban on mandatory minimums

The ABA House of Delegates on Tuesday approved a late-offered resolution backing a ban on mandatory minimum sentences, while sponsors withdrew another late sentencing resolution after hearing from the U.S. Justice Department.

Aug 15, 2017 10:15 AM CDT

Gun violence restraining orders backed by House of Delegates

Updated: A measure addressing gun violence won approval from the ABA House of Delegates on Tuesday, despite some opposition by those who raised due process issues.

Aug 15, 2017 9:25 AM CDT