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ABA’s Ankerwycke imprint publishes books that show the ‘flesh and blood’ side of the law

A quick glance at any current best-seller list is all it takes to recognize that books with legal themes—both novels and nonfiction—are popular with the general reading public. But traditionally, the ABA was never part of that market. Instead, the ABA’s publishing efforts focused on the kinds of substantive topics…

Jan 1, 2016 1:10 AM CST

ABA applauds a new FCC rule seeking to hold down telephone rates charged to prison inmates

At the urging of the ABA and numerous advocacy groups, the Federal Communications Commission has taken steps to bring down the rates and fees charged to inmates for making telephone calls from prisons and jails in the United States. Inmates rely on prison phone services to maintain contact with their loved ones.

Jan 1, 2016 1:00 AM CST

ABA Announcements

2016 BOARD OF GOVERNORS ELECTION At the 2016 Midyear Meeting, the Nominating Committee will announce nominations for district and at-large positions on the ABA Board of Governors for terms beginning at the conclusion of the 2016 Annual Meeting and ending at the conclusion of the 2019 Annual Meeting. Pursuant to…

Jan 1, 2016 12:50 AM CST

Obama commutes sentences of 95 federal prisoners, grants 2 pardons

Updated: More than doubling the number of federal prison sentences he has commuted during his entire time in office, President Barack Obama on Friday granted clemency to 95 inmates and pardoned two. Most were nonviolent drug offenders. A total of 184 prisoners have now been granted clemency by Obama while…

Dec 18, 2015 1:40 PM CST

ABA posts law school consumer info for 2015

Law school consumer information for the entering class of 2015 is now available on the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar’s website, the section said in a press release Wednesday. The information at the section’s website comes from the annual questionnaires ABA-approved law schools are required…

Dec 16, 2015 4:33 PM CST

Despite Holder’s call for clemency to free over 10,000, actual number so far is much lower

Updated: In a 2013 speech delivered at the American Bar Association’s annual meeting, then-U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced a new “Smart on Crime” initiative and called for a number of changes to reduce “shameful” sentencing disparities that often affect drug offenders. Among the measures he suggested was clemency. Yet…

Dec 9, 2015 3:20 PM CST

Supreme Court considers affirmative action in ‘contentious’ and ‘tense’ oral arguments

Justice Anthony M. Kennedy questioned Wednesday whether a case challenging affirmative action in college admissions should be returned to lower courts once again for more evidence about the need for such a program. By the end of the Supreme Court oral arguments, however, Kennedy appeared to think the Supreme Court…

Dec 9, 2015 1:49 PM CST

New sentencing is required for inmate because DA-turned-justice didn’t recuse, ABA brief says

The American Bar Association has filed an amicus brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to order a new sentencing hearing for a death row inmate because of “rare-but-egregious circumstances” involving a Pennsylvania justice’s failure to recuse. The ABA brief supports Terrance Williams, whose sentence was upheld unanimously by the Pennsylvania…

Dec 8, 2015 6:15 AM CST

Proposal to eliminate ban on academic credit for paid externships moves forward

The governing council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar has approved for notice and comment a proposed change in the law school accreditation standards that would eliminate the current ban on students receiving academic credit for paid externships. The council, which met Friday in…

Dec 7, 2015 2:47 PM CST

ABA urges SCOTUS to review decision that ‘opens the floodgates’ to disclosure of work product

The ABA is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to review a decision favoring the Federal Trade Commission in its battle to obtain attorney documents regarding a drug company’s settlement agreement with a generic manufacturer. The ABA brief (PDF) says the Supreme Court should review the decision (PDF) to protect against…

Dec 3, 2015 8:27 AM CST

ABA Everyday program thanks members with free, daily content

In 1948, the vocal group The Ink Spots recorded “The Best Things in Life are Free” and rode the recording to the Top 10 of the rhythm and blues charts. Although the Ink Spots were singing about the moon, stars, flowers and love, they were on to something. Who doesn’t…

Dec 1, 2015 4:20 AM CST

Substance abuse and mental health issues are a growing problem for the legal profession, say experts

In August 2014, the ABA Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs and the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation announced that they were collaborating on a major research project to survey current rates of substance abuse, depression and anxiety among licensed attorneys throughout the United States.

Dec 1, 2015 1:30 AM CST

13-city roadshow highlights changes to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure

The ABA Section of Litigation is hitting the road. The journey may lack the romantic flair of Jack Kerouac's 1957 classic On the Road or the poignancy of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath from 1939, but on a practical level it will provide a path for judges and lawyers around the United States to better understand a series of significant amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

Dec 1, 2015 1:20 AM CST

Bipartisan collaboration in the Senate increases chances for a major criminal justice reform act

A rare showing of bipartisanship in Congress led to a breakthrough this fall when Senate Republicans and Democrats collaborated to produce legislation that would make significant reforms to the nation’s criminal justice system. The ABA is a longtime advocate for the actions set forth in the legislation. Unveiled by its…

Dec 1, 2015 1:10 AM CST

ABA Announcements

The following jurisdictions will elect a State Delegate for a three-year term beginning at the adjournment of the 2016 Annual Meeting: Alabama Alaska California Florida Hawaii Kansas Kentucky Massachusetts Missouri New Mexico North Carolina North Dakota Pennsylvania Tennessee Vermont Virginia Wisconsin Nominating petitions for State Delegates to be elected in…

Dec 1, 2015 1:00 AM CST

ABA’s Ankerwycke imprint publishes books that show the ‘flesh and blood’ side of the law

ABA applauds a new FCC rule seeking to hold down telephone rates charged to prison inmates

ABA Announcements

Obama commutes sentences of 95 federal prisoners, grants 2 pardons

ABA posts law school consumer info for 2015

Despite Holder’s call for clemency to free over 10,000, actual number so far is much lower

Supreme Court considers affirmative action in ‘contentious’ and ‘tense’ oral arguments

New sentencing is required for inmate because DA-turned-justice didn’t recuse, ABA brief says

Proposal to eliminate ban on academic credit for paid externships moves forward

ABA urges SCOTUS to review decision that ‘opens the floodgates’ to disclosure of work product

ABA Everyday program thanks members with free, daily content

Substance abuse and mental health issues are a growing problem for the legal profession, say experts

13-city roadshow highlights changes to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure

Bipartisan collaboration in the Senate increases chances for a major criminal justice reform act

ABA Announcements

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