Access to Justice

ABA president announces Martin Scorsese, Dolores Huerta to join new speaker series

Beginning in October, ABA members will hear directly from Academy Award-winning director Martin Scorsese, labor rights icon Dolores Huerta and other influential thinkers and trailblazers.

Sep 26, 2023 10:17 AM CDT

Former ABA executive director joins Rocket Lawyer, hopes to expand access to justice

Former ABA Executive Director Jack Rives hopes to play a role in expanding access to justice in his new position at online legal services company Rocket Lawyer.

Sep 14, 2023 3:11 PM CDT

In ‘watershed moment,’ report recommends new guidelines for public defender caseloads

Many public defenders are “overloaded” with work, even when caseloads are evaluated under outdated guidelines drafted in 1973 that don't reflect modern-day realities, according to a new study released Tuesday.

Sep 13, 2023 2:24 PM CDT

Family First: A group of Washington lawyers works to keep infants with their mothers

While family separations have long been the norm when treating babies born dependent on substances, recent research suggests allowing a mother to stay with and care for her infant significantly improves their health outcomes.

Sep 7, 2023 11:06 AM CDT

Want to help survivors of the Hawaii wildfires? The ABA has options for you

The ABA is calling on attorneys to join the response to the Maui wildfires in Hawaii, which claimed the lives of more than 100 people and displaced thousands more earlier this month.

Aug 30, 2023 12:08 PM CDT

Weekly Briefs: Fired reporter drops Dechert suit; Hunter Biden’s lawyer resigns

Fired reporter drops suit against Dechert A reporter who said he was fired from the Wall Street Journal because of information released in a “hack-and-smear operation” has dropped his lawsuit accusing Dechert of participating in the scheme. Reporter Jonathan “Jay” Solomon did not indicate whether a settlement was reached. Suits…

Aug 18, 2023 2:39 PM CDT

Federal judge orders release of county’s unrepresented defendants, says problem is ‘complete tragedy’

A federal judge in Eugene, Oregon, has ruled that defendants held without lawyers for 10 days in Washington County, Oregon’s jail must be released from custody.

Aug 18, 2023 11:40 AM CDT

High-earning, court-appointed lawyer failed to provide ‘even a modicum of representation,’ suit alleges

When a Houston man was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated in July 2018, he was “a happily married 65-year-old man.” By the time that his case was dismissed in February 2022, he had lost his home, his truck and his wife.

Aug 9, 2023 2:13 PM CDT

ABA House OKs updated 10 principles for public defense; ‘we cannot allow a two-tier system of justice’

The House of Delegates approved a measure adopting a new iteration of the ABA Ten Principles of a Public Defense Delivery System at the ABA Annual Meeting in Denver on Monday.

Aug 8, 2023 9:10 AM CDT

Guardianship Bill of Rights for adults passes ABA House; ‘it is needed’

The ABA House of Delegates passed a resolution Monday urging all law and policymaking bodies to adopt the Guardianship Bill of Rights, which recognizes 21 rights for adults who have a guardian.

Aug 7, 2023 5:00 PM CDT

ABA will receive United Nations Human Rights Prize for environmental advocacy

The ABA and other members of a global coalition have received the 2023 United Nations Human Rights Prize for their role in advocating for the U.N. General Assembly’s recognition of the right to a healthy environment in 2022.

Jul 20, 2023 3:20 PM CDT

Efforts underway to help formerly incarcerated people find and maintain jobs

An estimated 64% of unemployed men have been arrested, and 46% have been convicted, according to an economist and a criminologist for the RAND Corp.

Jul 7, 2023 12:05 PM CDT

Thomson Reuters will acquire legal tech startup Casetext for $650M

Thomson Reuters announced Monday that it had reached an agreement to buy the legal tech startup Casetext for $650 million as part of its long-term investment in generative artificial intelligence.

Jun 27, 2023 10:39 AM CDT

University of California College of the Law unveils justice tech startup program

The LexLab center at the University of California College of the Law at San Francisco has announced a new program to support justice tech startups.

Jun 15, 2023 9:05 AM CDT

How could alternative licensure alter lawyer labor supply? Law prof’s research may have answers

If jurisdictions eliminate the bar exam as an entry to attorney licensure, the labor supply of lawyers would increase by 16%, according to new research by an associate professor at the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis.

Jun 14, 2023 10:51 AM CDT