Annual Meeting

ABA is fine-tuning its new annual meeting format to make attendance a better experience for members

In 2014, the ABA introduced a dramatic-ally revamped format for the annual meeting that emphasized a streamlined schedule of events, a new pricing structure and a more communal feel. The changes were made as part of a three-year effort to reinvent the annual as the signature event of the association year.

Jul 1, 2015 6:45 AM CDT

ABA Announcements

PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION, BYLAWS AND HOUSE RULES OF PROCEDURE Proposed amendments to the Constitution, Bylaws and House Rules of Procedure of the American Bar Association summarized below have been duly filed with the Secretary of the Association by the indicated sponsoring members of the Association for consideration by…

Jul 1, 2015 1:20 AM CDT

ABA task force on law school financing calls for reforms

An ABA task force is calling for enhanced debt counseling for law students; “plain English” disclosures of loan repayment programs; an increase in the collection and public dissemination of law school financial data; and greater experimentation by schools to find new ways of lowering costs while maintaining sound educational programs.…

Jun 19, 2015 9:05 AM CDT

ABA announces its slate of nominees for leader positions

When Linda A. Klein of Atlanta was named the ABA’s president-elect nominee in February by the Nominating Committee, she also became part of a significant trend in the association’s leadership ranks. The House of Delegates will go through the formality of making Klein’s election official in August when it convenes…

May 1, 2015 1:50 AM CDT

Lawyers struggle to reconcile new technology with traditional ethics rules

One of the biggest hurdles for lawyers seeking to adapt to—and adopt—technology affecting their practices is to sort through questions about how that technology relates to traditional ethics rules that have been in effect long before things like the Internet, the cloud and social media came into existence.

Nov 1, 2014 5:55 AM CDT

Law school accreditation standards get update after 6 years of effort

The six-year odyssey of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar to revise the standards and procedural rules for accrediting U.S. law schools has finally reached a happy ending. Well, almost. The ABA House of Delegates, voting in August at the association’s annual meeting in Boston,…

Oct 1, 2014 2:20 AM CDT

Americans don't see their issues as legal matters, study says

An American Bar Foundation study provides additional evidence of a serious gap in access to legal services for many Americans. But its findings also suggest the reasons for the gap can’t be blamed entirely on the usual suspects. Using a list of 12 common types of civil justice issues that…

Oct 1, 2014 2:10 AM CDT

The Magna Carta reaches celebrity status as its 800th anniversary nears

The ABA launched its yearlong commemoration of the Magna Carta’s 800th anniversary with a bang in August at the annual meeting in Boston. The festivities will culminate next June with four days of educational programs, ceremonies and social events in London, followed by a rededication of the ABA’s monument to…

Oct 1, 2014 2:00 AM CDT

Outgoing President Silkenat delivers impassioned plea to address gun violence

ABA President James R. Silkenat used his final speech to the association’s House of Delegates to repeat one of his most persistent messages over the past year: The legal profession must play a leading role in efforts to deal with an epidemic of gun violence in the United States. In…

Oct 1, 2014 1:50 AM CDT

Hacking takes center stage as a tool to improve access to justice

A disaster-relief mobile app that provides individuals with legal information, resources and forms for assistance. An interactive tool that calculates whether a user is eligible for indigent legal services—and how much prison time criminal defendants face. A game that determines whether a user needs legal representation. A website that guides…

Oct 1, 2014 1:40 AM CDT

Report links stand-your-ground laws to higher homicide rates

Stand-your-ground laws hinder law enforcement, are applied inconsistently and disproportionately affect minorities. Those were the main findings from the ABA National Task Force on Stand Your Ground Laws. In a preliminary report (PDF) officially unveiled at the ABA Annual Meeting, the task force found that states with some form of…

Oct 1, 2014 1:30 AM CDT

New ABA President William Hubbard wants to close legal services delivery gap for poor

When it comes to legal services delivery in the United States, incoming ABA President William C. Hubbard wants to build a better mousetrap. And Hubbard, who begins his term in mid-August at the close of the 2014 ABA Annual Meeting in Boston, is wasting no time in launching a concentrated…

Sep 1, 2014 7:40 AM CDT

‘Hackcess to Justice’ winners look to increase the reach of their apps

Award winners from the recent Hackcess to Justice legal hackathon are working hard to fulfill the main goal of the event: Improving access for all Americans to effective legal assistance. In the two weeks since the inaugural hackathon—in conjunction with the ABA Annual Meeting—took place at Suffolk University Law School…

Aug 25, 2014 1:30 PM CDT

ABA House urges legislation that would formally recognize and punish crimes against humanity

The ABA House of Delegates has adopted a policy urging Congress to enact legislation to prevent and punish crimes against humanity and urges the U.S. government to take an active role in negotiating and adopting a new global convention for the prevention and punishment of crimes against humanity. The following…

Aug 12, 2014 6:28 PM CDT

ABA House condemns laws worldwide discriminating against LGBT people and criminalizing homosexuality

The ABA House of Delegates has adopted policy recognizing the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people and condemning laws, regulations, rules and practices that discriminate against them. Resolution 114B addresses international concerns and was proposed by the International Law Section; the Individual Rights and Responsibilities Section; and the…

Aug 12, 2014 6:10 PM CDT