ABA

Montana legislature says ABA model rule on discrimination and harassment violates First Amendment

A joint resolution passed Wednesday by the Montana state legislature condemns the ABA’s Model Rule 8.4(g) as a violation of Montanans’ First Amendment rights. The model rule, passed by the House of Delegates at the 2016 Annual Meeting, makes it a violation of professional responsibility to discriminate or harass on…

Apr 13, 2017 4:58 PM CDT

Erase ambiguity in patent eligibility law, ABA IP section urges USPTO

The American Bar Association Section of Intellectual Property Law has weighed in on how patent eligibility should be determined by way of a letter to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The USPTO placed an invitation for public comment on patent subject matter eligibility in the Federal Register in October…

Apr 7, 2017 4:19 PM CDT

What have previous Legal Rebels been up to? We talked to 8 of them to find out

We love featuring innovators in our annual Legal Rebels issues, but these creative legal minds don’t stop churning after they earn their titles. ABA Journal editor and publisher Molly McDonough sat down with eight of our Legal Rebels and Legal Rebels Trailblazer alums at the ABA Techshow in March to…

Apr 6, 2017 2:45 PM CDT

ABA commission had warned of immigration-court backlog

A 2010 report from the ABA Commission on Immigration cited many of the same concerns that exist today about a system incapable of handling increased enforcement of immigration laws.

Apr 1, 2017 4:35 AM CDT

The Importance of Law Day: As lawyers, let’s share our passion for constitutional democracy

In 1957, during the Cold War, American Bar Association President Charles S. Rhyne had an idea. It came to him as he watched reports of the Soviet Union’s annual May Day celebration in Moscow’s Red Square, with massive displays of military might. Rhyne, a onetime counsel to President Dwight Eisenhower, suggested that what made America truly great was its fidelity to the rule of law as opposed to the rule of force.

Apr 1, 2017 4:25 AM CDT

Exposing the Bail Trap: New film campaign urges change for bail system

Brave New Films recently released the first short film in the campaign, Breaking Down Bail, which combines information about the bail system—such as the fact that about 500,000 people are in jail on any day, awaiting trial—with man-on-the-street interviews, highlighting the many misconceptions people have about the bail system.

Apr 1, 2017 4:00 AM CDT

Taking on Trump: ABA House urges Trump to withdraw travel ban

The ABA House of Delegates urged President Donald Trump to withdraw his executive order issued Jan. 27, titled “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States.” The House also pressed him to ensure full, prompt and uniform compliance with court orders concerning the order for as long…

Apr 1, 2017 1:50 AM CDT

Klein: Judicial independence ‘not up for negotiation’

ABA President Linda A. Klein, speaking to the association’s House of Delegates, issued a call to arms for lawyers to defend the rule of law in response to a spate of attacks on law in general and the judiciary in particular by the Trump administration, though the name went unmentioned.

Apr 1, 2017 1:40 AM CDT

ABA House rejects bar exam proposal

The ABA House of Delegates voted against a proposal to tighten bar-passage rate standards for accredited law schools.

Apr 1, 2017 1:30 AM CDT

ABA groups build rapid-response website for immigration order

In February, the members of the ABA Law Practice Division’s Futures Initiative sat down to discuss an agenda they had planned for three months.

Apr 1, 2017 1:20 AM CDT

New president-elect touts ABA’s value to ‘Main Street lawyers’

The ABA’s policy and lobbying arms can get a lot of attention, especially after public statements on contentious issues. But ABA president-elect candidate Robert Carlson says the ABA also offers unmatched value to “Main Street lawyers”: practical help with their everyday work, opportunities to keep abreast of top legal news and advocacy for causes important to the profession.

Apr 1, 2017 1:00 AM CDT

Better policing will improve trust in criminal justice, task force says

The legal profession can help build trust in the American criminal justice system in part by encouraging best practices by police departments, according to an ABA task force report.

Apr 1, 2017 12:50 AM CDT

How Trump might handle enforcing laws

President Donald Trump’s administration is expected to bring significant change to enforcing laws. Despite the president’s at times unpredictable approaches to governance, a panel of experts provided some possibilities for enforcement priorities at the ABA Midyear Meeting in Miami.

Apr 1, 2017 12:40 AM CDT

Board approves commission on legal education’s future

The ABA Board of Governors has approved a proposal submitted by President-elect Hilarie Bass to create a Commission on the Future of Legal Education.

Apr 1, 2017 12:30 AM CDT

ABA Announcements

DELEGATE-AT-LARGE ELECTION Pursuant to §6.5 of the ABA Constitution, six Delegates-at-Large to the House of Delegates will be elected at the 2017 Annual Meeting for three-year terms beginning with the adjournment of that meeting and ending with the adjournment of the 2020 Annual Meeting. Candidates are to be nominated by…

Apr 1, 2017 12:25 AM CDT