ABA

ABA Annual to Feature a High Court Justice, Top Lawyers, Famous Authors and a Battle of the Bands

Whenever the ABA returns to Chicago for its Annual Meeting, the event feels something like a homecoming. That feeling should come as no surprise, considering the ABA is headquartered in Chicago–on Clark Street overlooking the Chicago River, just a short walk from the cluster of hotels off Michigan Avenue where…

Aug 1, 2012 6:29 PM CDT

US Courts Can Hear Claims for Human Rights Abuses in Other Countries, Says ABA Amicus Brief

The ABA is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to rule that federal courts have jurisdiction to hear claims for international law violations that occur outside the United States. U.S. courts have jurisdiction under the Alien Tort Statute, the ABA argues in an amicus brief (PDF) filed last month. The Supreme…

Aug 1, 2012 6:28 PM CDT

ABA Amicus Brief Says Mental Incompetency May Require Stays in Capital Habeas Proceedings

The ABA has filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court that argues capital defendants may be entitled to stays in habeas proceedings if they are not competent to aid their lawyers. The ABA asserts that the competency requirement is inherent in a federal statute providing for the appointment…

Aug 1, 2012 5:43 PM CDT

Upward and Onward: ABA Initiatives Continue to Educate and Inspire

Prior to my ABA presidency, I was privileged to attend the 20th anniversary of the ABA’s Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project, which represents thousands of detained immigrants seeking to stay in this country. In Harlingen, Texas, I had an awakening, a defining experience in my professional career. A young man…

Aug 1, 2012 9:00 AM CDT

End of Round Two: Progress in Raising Awareness About Funding Crisis in State Courts

Two years after the ABA joined with other groups to put the funding crisis facing state court systems into sharp focus, a solution still is a long way off. Nevertheless, there are important signs that the court funding issue is starting to get the attention necessary to produce solutions, says…

Aug 1, 2012 6:00 AM CDT

The Big Push: ABA Urges the Senate to Finally Ratify Law of the Sea Convention

Proponents are pushing hard for U.S. ratification this year of the United Nations’ Convention on the Law of the Sea, a treaty that sets forth a comprehensive legal framework defining the rights and responsibilities of nations regarding their use of the world’s oceans. The Law of the Sea Convention, which…

Aug 1, 2012 5:50 AM CDT

A Crusader’s Reward: Morris Dees to Receive 2012 ABA Medal

Four decades ago this month, a young lawyer from Alabama had an idea: Sue two organizations for damages stemming from the conduct and actions of their employees or members. The organizations were the Republican National Committee and the Committee for the Re-election of the President. The individuals were five “burglars”…

Aug 1, 2012 5:40 AM CDT

ABA Announcements

NOTICE BY THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS Pursuant to § 6.3(e) of the ABA’s Constitution, the state of Montana will elect a State Delegate to fill a vacancy due to the nomination of Robert M. Carlson as Chair of the House of Delegates. The term commences immediately upon certification by the…

Aug 1, 2012 5:30 AM CDT

Lawyers Giving Back

Know someone in the legal field who gets a charge out of helping others? Snap a photo at their next event and please submit them to Julie Brown c/o Lawyers Giving Back. We welcome your “action” photographs of lawyers—whether ABA members or not—giving back to their communities. Send jpeg files…

Aug 1, 2012 5:20 AM CDT

U of Illinois Law School Is Publicly Censured by the ABA, Fined for Misreporting Admissions Data

The University of Illinois College of Law has been publicly censured and fined $250,000 for intentionally reporting and publishing false admissions data in six out of the last 10 years. The action, taken last month, was announced Tuesday by the Council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions…

Jul 24, 2012 8:20 PM CDT

Duncan School of Law to Appeal Accreditation Denial Again

Lincoln Memorial University’s Duncan School of Law plans to appeal a decision earlier this month by the governing council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar affirming its earlier denial of the school’s bid for provisional accreditation. The school’s intentions are spelled out in a…

Jul 18, 2012 5:10 PM CDT

ABA Committee to Revisit Bar Passage Accreditation Standard

An American Bar Association committee appears to be having second thoughts about its tentative decision last year not to recommend any changes in the law school accreditation standard dealing with bar passage rates. What precipitated the collective change of heart? A preliminary analysis of attrition rates for candidates who sat…

Jul 16, 2012 7:41 PM CDT

ABA Council Denies Duncan School of Law’s Accreditation Appeal

The governing council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar has affirmed its denial of Lincoln Memorial University’s Duncan School of Law’s bid for provisional accreditation. The council notified the school of its decision in a letter Thursday, according to papers (PDF) filed Friday in…

Jul 9, 2012 6:00 PM CDT

US Law Schools Expanding Clinical, Professionalism Offerings, Survey Shows

U.S. law schools have been beefing up their clinical and professionalism programs in response to the shifting economy and various calls for curricula changes from academia and the media, a new survey shows. Three-quarters of the schools surveyed cited the changing job market as a reason for the curricula changes.…

Jul 5, 2012 4:20 PM CDT

Time to Reject Perception that Disabilities Are Barriers to Productive Legal Careers

Be sure everybody knows you are special, but be sure nobody treats you like it. That is how Lauren DeBruicker, a partner at Duane Morris, describes the challenge for lawyers with disabilities. Her words remind us that our profession must change the perception that a disability is a barrier to…

Jul 1, 2012 9:30 AM CDT