ABA

Ethics opinion revisits rule on providing client representation information

In legal ethics, like so many other fields, it's not easy to address all the possible applications of a rule on the first try. And the task becomes even tougher when the rule undergoes major changes before all the variations in its application can be considered by the courts and other authorities.

May 1, 2016 2:20 AM CDT

Cybersecurity issues and advice steal the Techshow

Cybersecurity was a major theme at ABA Techshow 2016. Legal concerns about privacy and security were serious enough to demand their own program track at the mid-March conference. A panel of cybersecurity heavyweights presented stern warnings and solid advice during a Friday evening plenary. Some of the important messages were…

May 1, 2016 1:40 AM CDT

Midyear meeting tour provides an up-close look at immigration issues

In the high desert east of San Diego, the international border between the United States and Mexico is sometimes a fence, sometimes a wall and sometimes no more than an imaginary line. Enrique Morones knows where those weak places are, and so do U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers. During…

May 1, 2016 1:00 AM CDT

ABA Nominating Committee picks candidates for top 4 leadership positions

The ABA's commitment to diversity was prominently on display in February when the Nominating Committee announced a slate of candidates to fill the association's four officer positions and about a third of the seats on the Board of Governors.

May 1, 2016 12:50 AM CDT

SCOTUS nominees get thorough review by ABA Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary

The unexpected death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia on Feb. 13 triggered a wave of eulogies from throughout the legal profession and the political community. But the sudden vacancy on the nation's highest court also meant that the 15 members of the ABA Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary would have a lot more work to do in the coming months.

May 1, 2016 12:45 AM CDT

ABA Announcements

NOTICE BY THE SECRETARY REGARDING DELEGATES-AT-LARGE ELECTION FOR THE 2016-2019 TERM Pursuant to § 6.5 of the ABA Constitution, six Delegates-at-Large to the House of Delegates will be elected at the 2016 Annual Meeting for three-year terms beginning with the adjournment of that meeting and ending with the adjournment of…

May 1, 2016 12:40 AM CDT

Patricia Timmons-Goodson nominated for long-vacant seat on federal court bench

Patricia Timmons-Goodson, a former North Carolina Supreme Court justice who currently is vice chairwoman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights has been nominated by President Barack Obama to a long-vacant seat on the state’s federal court bench. Patricia Timmons-Goodson, who is a onetime member of the ABA Journal’s Board…

Apr 29, 2016 5:47 PM CDT

Lawyers, judges and bar groups celebrate Law Day 2016 around the country

With May 1 falling on a Sunday this year, many annual Law Day celebrations and activities are being held before or after the actual day. And, because 2016 will mark the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s iconic Miranda v. Arizona decision, it is front and center in many…

Apr 29, 2016 5:15 PM CDT

China puts foreign groups under police supervision and requires them to find Chinese sponsors

China has passed a new law requiring foreign nongovernmental organizations—known as NGOs—to register with police and to find official Chinese sponsors. The law passed Thursday amid criticism by Western governments and foreign NGOs, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) and Reuters report. It takes effect Jan.…

Apr 29, 2016 2:35 PM CDT

As ‘deeply flawed’ revised persuader rule takes effect, ABA joins in effort to block it

For 50 years, federal labor law requiring employers to disclose the involvement of consultants in attempts made to persuade employees not to unionize has included a broad exception for attorney-client communications. That changed Monday, when a revised version of the so-called persuader rule took effect. It applies to arrangements, agreements,…

Apr 28, 2016 3:40 PM CDT

Recommind and Hire Counsel announce new fixed-price document review model

Recommind and Hire Counsel are teaming up to offer a fixed-price document review model for electronic discovery. In a joint Wednesday press release (PDF), the two companies and partners announced they would offer first-pass review of electronic documents at a set price. According to the release, Hire Counsel combined project…

Apr 27, 2016 7:00 AM CDT

ABA urges 6th Circuit to forbid private probation company’s jail-or-pay scheme

The American Bar Association filed an amicus brief Tuesday condemning a private probation system that jails defendants who are unable to pay their fines. In Rodriguez v. Providence Community Corrections Inc., the ABA is urging the Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold the lower court’s injunction against…

Apr 26, 2016 5:10 PM CDT

In letter to lawmakers, ABA defends decision not to publish book by Chinese human rights lawyer

The American Bar Association says an employee was misguided when he or she offered to publish a book by Chinese human rights lawyer Teng Biao, and the employee erred again when citing concerns about “upsetting the Chinese government” as the reason for withdrawing the offer. The ABA was “disinclined” to…

Apr 26, 2016 12:10 PM CDT

Should nonlawyers be allowed to own law firms? ABA commission revisits the issue

An ABA commission is seeking comments on an “issues paper” examining ethics rules that bar nonlawyers from owning and managing law firms. The ABA Commission on the Future of Legal Services “revived a contentious debate” on the issue with a request for comments, which are accepted until May 2, according…

Apr 25, 2016 5:45 AM CDT

ABA backs proposal to eliminate questions about mental health history for Washington bar applicants

The ABA is expressing support for a proposal by the Washington State Bar Association to remove questions about mental health history in its review of bar applicants. ABA President Paulette Brown said in a letter (PDF) that questions about mental health history discriminate against people with disabilities and are likely…

Apr 21, 2016 1:44 PM CDT