ABA

ABA urges Supreme Court to hear case of Gitmo detainee held more than 15 years

The ABA filed an amicus brief on Wednesday that urges the U.S. Supreme Court to hear an appeal by a Guantanamo Bay detainee who has been held without trial for 15 years. The ABA brief (PDF) says the court should review the claim by Abd al Rahim al-Nashiri that he…

Jun 1, 2017 9:21 AM CDT

ABA Legal Ed Section exploring a reorganization that would save time and money

An idea to combine three bodies in the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar has been put into a report and shared with the group's council, which is meeting Friday in Portland, Oregon.

Jun 1, 2017 7:00 AM CDT

Independent courts are vital to democracy

Judicial independence is one of the most important principles of the rule of law. It is critical in defending people from intrusions and overreach by the government and preserving a free and democratic society. James Madison, when drafting the Constitution, sought to guard against a “tyranny of the majority” by…

Jun 1, 2017 4:40 AM CDT

Competitions boost interest and involvement at ABA Techshow 2017

Adding some spice to the agenda of the ABA Techshow 2017 was the inaugural Startup Alley competition,which pitted 12 legal startups against one another in a knockout-style contest, with audience members voting for the winners. First place went to Ping, an automated timekeeping program that allows lawyers to automatically track and bill their hours without starting or stopping a timer.

Jun 1, 2017 1:50 AM CDT

Bill intended to speed up capital appeals, opposed by the ABA, is signed by Alabama’s governor

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Friday signed into law a bill requiring capital defendants to pursue direct and post-conviction appeals at the same time. Ivey said in a press release that the bill, known as the Fair Justice Act, “strikes an important balance between protecting the rights of a defendant…

May 30, 2017 1:40 PM CDT

Former ABA President Alfred P. (A.P.) Carlton dies

Updated: Former ABA President Alfred P. (A.P.) Carlton of Raleigh, North Carolina, died on Thursday at the age of 69. As ABA president from 2002 to 2003, Carlton worked to protect judicial independence, reform corporate governance and promote the rule of law in Iraq, according to a statement by current…

May 25, 2017 3:28 PM CDT

ABA seeks summary judgment in suit over lawyers dropped from loan forgiveness program

The ABA filed a motion for summary judgment on Wednesday in its lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education for its decision to drop some lawyers from the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

May 25, 2017 8:50 AM CDT

ABA president criticizes ‘egregious’ cuts to LSC, loan forgiveness in Trump budget proposal

ABA President Linda A. Klein on Tuesday sharply criticized proposed budget cuts by the White House that would do “severe damage to the most vulnerable people in our society.”

“Steep budget cuts proposed today by the White House would severely undermine the fairness of the legal system and deny access to justice for some of society’s most vulnerable individuals,” Klein said in the statement.

May 23, 2017 3:53 PM CDT

ABA Center for Human Rights forwards law prof’s assessment of illegality of arms deal to Senate

Further arms sales to Saudi Arabia would violate federal law, unless the country takes steps to comply with international humanitarian law, according to a law professor whose opinion was provided to the U.S. Senate by the ABA Center for Human Rights. The center supplied the opinion by Vanderbilt University law…

May 22, 2017 3:42 PM CDT

Want to expand your audience? Sign up for ABA’s Diverse Speakers Directory

Do you have expertise on a legal topic and belong to an underrepresented demographic? Then the American Bar Association may have speaker opportunities to send your way. The ABA has recently launched a Diverse Speakers Directory. It is intended to help the organization meet Goal III of its mission and…

May 22, 2017 12:02 PM CDT

Alabama bill intended to shorten capital appeals is sent to governor; ABA had opposed it

The Alabama Legislature has passed and sent to the governor a bill intended to shorten death penalty appeals in the state.

The Legislature gave final approval to the bill last week despite opposition by the ABA, report AL.com and WHNT-TV. The bill requires requires defendants to seek post-conviction relief at the same time they are pursuing a direct appeal.

May 22, 2017 8:47 AM CDT

ABA Journal wins multiple honors at 2017 Azbee Awards

The ABA Journal received an honorable mention for magazine of the year in its revenue category in the national ASBPE Awards of Excellence honoring business-to-business journalism. The awards were given by the American Society of Business Publication Editors in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Thursday. The ABA Journal also won a…

May 19, 2017 8:37 AM CDT

Alabama bill intended to streamline death-penalty appeals has ‘serious problems,’ ABA says

Alabama legislation designed to streamline capital appeals increases the risk that an innocent person will be executed, according to ABA President Linda A. Klein. Her May 12 letter (PDF) to members of the Alabama Legislature, written on behalf of the ABA, says the legislation known as the Fair Justice Act…

May 15, 2017 3:06 PM CDT

ABA president advocates a $450M budget for LSC in letter to Senate

ABA President Linda Klein submitted a statement to the U.S. Senate on Friday urging them to set the Legal Services Corp. budget to $450 million for 2018. Klein’s statement is largely similar to her testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives in early May. It echoes the lobbying which the…

May 15, 2017 2:24 PM CDT

4% decline in jobs requiring bar passage for law class of 2016, ABA employment data shows

The number of graduates of the law class of 2016 in jobs that require bar passage is down 4.1 percent from the class of 2015.

May 11, 2017 2:27 PM CDT