ABA

ABA Notices - December 2023-January 2024

2024 STATE DELEGATE ELECTION Pursuant to Section 6.3(a) of the ABA Constitution, 17 states will elect state delegates for three-year terms beginning at the adjournment of the 2024 ABA Annual Meeting. The deadline for receipt of nominating petitions is Friday, Dec. 8. Go to ambar.org/2024-stdel to find the states conducting…

Dec 1, 2023 12:15 AM CST

2023 ‘Profile of the Legal Profession’ report spotlights the scarcity of legal aid lawyers

The ABA released its annual Profile of the Legal Profession report Thursday, and it offers a sobering look at the dearth of civil legal aid lawyers in the U.S.

Nov 30, 2023 3:22 PM CST

ABA withdraws 2 online statements on Israel-Hamas war

Two statements on the Israel-Hamas war by ABA President Mary Smith have been withdrawn and are no longer available on the association’s website.

Nov 30, 2023 1:10 PM CST

Helping others is at the center of Holly Dolejsi’s practice

Holly Dolejsi has made pro bono—and, in particular, helping transgender and nonbinary individuals change their names—a central part of her practice.

Nov 30, 2023 9:04 AM CST

DePaul University College of Law dean will lead ABA legal education starting next summer

The DePaul University College of Law’s dean will become the managing director for accreditation and legal education at the ABA, replacing Bill Adams, effective June 1.

Nov 29, 2023 12:08 PM CST

ABA seeks to toss suit over limited data breach, saying allegations based on ‘implausible assertion’

The ABA is seeking to dismiss a data-breach lawsuit filed against the association, saying the plaintiffs are relying on “the implausible assertion” that the March 2023 incident exposed the plaintiffs’ personal and financial data.

Nov 27, 2023 12:28 PM CST

Legal Ed council votes to send academic freedom proposal to ABA House of Delegates

Also at the Friday meeting in Dallas, the council voted to move a proposal regarding online library standards to the House, and it approved for public notice and comment proposed revisions to loosen accreditation standards for new online-only law schools.

Nov 20, 2023 12:33 PM CST

Lawyers learn too late that chatbots aren’t built to be accurate; how are judges and bars responding?

At least two lawyers who apparently used artificial intelligence chatbots to write legal documents ended up losing their jobs after the output included phony case citations.

Nov 17, 2023 2:11 PM CST

When it comes to deregulation of the legal industry, divisions run deep

The debate on the deregulation of the legal industry is as highly charged as ever. And while many agree there’s a problem, reaching a consensus on the best way forward has proved elusive.

Nov 16, 2023 2:37 PM CST

Martin Scorsese and Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear discuss making of ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’

The film Killers of the Flower Moon “underscores the critical importance of the rule of law and the pursuit of justice,” said ABA President Mary Smith, who interviewed director Martin Scorsese and Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear of the Osage Nation in the latest installment of the ABA Presidential Speaker Series.

Nov 15, 2023 2:09 PM CST

Supreme Court adopts ethics code, addresses ‘misunderstanding’ that justices feel unrestrained by rules

Updated: The U.S. Supreme Court announced Monday that it has adopted an ethics code amid controversies stemming in part from Justice Clarence Thomas’ acceptance of luxury travel from wealthy friends.

Nov 13, 2023 3:00 PM CST

Keramet Reiter helps build in-prison education programs in California

Keramet Reiter has spent countless hours inside prisons, working with individuals who are incarcerated and studying the impact of prison and punishment policies on them, their communities and the legal system. As part of her work, Reiter has focused on expanding access to in-prison education programs.

Nov 9, 2023 10:02 AM CST

Family members who step in to care for children can get extra support with ABA guidance

In late September, the U.S. Administration for Children and Families published a rule urging child welfare agencies to develop different standards for grandparents, aunts and uncles or other kinship caregivers who step in to raise children who can no longer live with their parents. The ABA Center on Children and the Law is now working to assist these states.

Nov 8, 2023 3:10 PM CST

ABA announces 2024 Spirit of Excellence Award recipients

Attorneys, military officers and judges who exemplify excellence in the legal profession will receive the 2024 Spirit of Excellence Award during the ABA Midyear Meeting in February, the ABA announced Thursday.

Nov 3, 2023 9:09 AM CDT

Legal profession needs to support Native American female lawyers, new ABA report shows

Native American female lawyers often feel isolated and exhausted, and they have endured pervasive bias and harassment, according to a new report published by the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession and the National Native American Bar Association on Thursday.

Nov 2, 2023 2:05 PM CDT