Annual Meeting

Zack Announces American Bar Academy; Grads to Get Loaded iPods #ABAChicago

Incoming ABA President-Elect Stephen Zack, a partner in the Miami office of Boies, Schiller & Flexner, called on the ABA to create an innovative program of civic education that he called the American Bar Academy. Zack, who begins his one-year term as president-elect at the end of the annual meeting,…

Aug 4, 2009 3:39 PM CDT

ABA Supports Universal Access to Health Care #ABAChicago

The ABA’s policy-making House of Delegates today approved a resolution calling for access to quality health care for all Americans, regardless of income. It passed on an overwhelming voice vote, and no one spoke in opposition to the measure. The ABA has been on record since 1972 as being in…

Aug 4, 2009 2:28 PM CDT

Lamm, a White & Case Partner, Becomes ABA President #ABAChicago

Carolyn Lamm, an international trade and litigation lawyer at the Washington, D.C. office of White & Case, assumed the presidency of the ABA today, telling the House of Delegates that “the term rule of law may sound like an abstraction, but history is full of evidence that reminds us otherwise.”…

Aug 3, 2009 9:30 PM CDT

Gay Marriage Measure Passes House Without Debate #ABAChicago

Corrected: The ABA policy-making House of Delegates passed by an overwhelming voice vote a resolution calling on Congress to repeal a section of the Defense of Marriage Act that denies federal marital benefits and protections to lawfully married same-sex couples. Despite the controversial nature of same-sex marriage, no one spoke…

Aug 3, 2009 8:47 PM CDT

AG Holder Calls for Getting ‘Smart on Crime’ #ABAChicago

Drawing a sharp contrast between the Bush and Obama administrations, without ever naming the former, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder told the ABA House of Delegates that “we no longer must choose between more prisoners or more crime.” He declared the Department of Justice under his watch will “embrace the…

Aug 3, 2009 8:31 PM CDT

American Samoa Seeks its Place in House of Delegates #ABAChicago

The 92 members of the American Samoa Bar Association will have to wait a while to learn whether they will be granted representation in the ABA House of Delegates. The House on Monday morning declined to amend the ABA Constitution to add one more delegate to its ranks so that…

Aug 3, 2009 7:09 PM CDT

House Considering U.N. Initiative to Bolster World’s Response to Genocide #ABAChicago

When the U.N. General Assembly convened a World Summit in 2005, it set forth the doctrine that states have an obligation to protect their citizens from genocide, war crimes and ethnic cleansing; and if a state fails to do so, then the responsibility falls to the larger community of nations.…

Aug 3, 2009 5:50 PM CDT

Zack Understands Legal Concerns, Language of Hispanic Community #ABAChicago

It was just one moment in a hallway outside another hotel meeting room, but it offered a telling glimpse into the impact Stephen N. Zack is likely to have when he takes his turn as ABA president. He was giving an interview to a television crew on Friday morning during…

Aug 3, 2009 5:29 PM CDT

With Bill Gates Jr. Looking On, Gates Sr. Accepts ABA’s Highest Honor #ABAChicago

With his son—the founder of a software company in Redmond, Wash.—looking on, Seattle attorney William H. Gates Sr. received the ABA Medal this morning at the House of Delegates meeting in Chicago. The award is the ABA’s highest honor, given to those who advance the jurisprudence of the United States.…

Aug 3, 2009 4:44 PM CDT

Holder, Gay Marriage and Health Care on ABA House Agenda #ABAChicago

The ABA’s policy-making House of Delegates begins its two-day session this morning, and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder’s address at 2:30 p.m. CT promises to be one of its marquee events. Among the high-profile items on the 555-member House’s calendar are resolutions that: • Urge repeal of a portion of…

Aug 3, 2009 1:58 PM CDT

Bill Robinson on a Clear Path to Become ABA President in 2011 #ABAChicago

Those trying to keep ABA leadership scorecards up to date can safely pencil Wm. T. “Bill” Robinson III of Florence, Ky., into the lineup for president. That result became virtually a sure thing when H. William Allen of Little Rock, Ark., withdrew from the race. Robinson confirmed Sunday that he…

Aug 2, 2009 6:25 PM CDT

Consultant Touts 6 Systems Lawyers Need to Build a Dream Practice #ABAChicago

Want to build a moneymaking, dream law business that clients love while working part time? Escape the outdated business model that has lawyers working too many hours for too little? Make clients out of nearly everyone who comes into the office for a consult? Then you need a system—or six,…

Aug 2, 2009 5:13 PM CDT

Legal Ethics of Facebook, Twitter & Cloud Computing #ABAChicago

The legal ethics challenges that will be posed by lawyer use of Facebook, Twitter and other forms of “cloud computing” services are almost as revolutionary as the services themselves, according to experts speaking at a discussion hosted Sunday by the Cyberspace Law Committee of the ABA Business Law Section. Cloud…

Aug 2, 2009 4:43 PM CDT

SCOTUS Insiders Discuss Changing Court Dynamics as Souter Exits #ABAChicago

The U.S. Supreme Court in the Obama era may be more conservative than under President George W. Bush because retiring Justice David H. Souter was the only one who could sweet-talk Justice Anthony M. Kennedy into voting toward the left. That’s one of the many insider tidbits to emerge Saturday…

Aug 2, 2009 4:03 PM CDT

Scenes from the ABA Annual Meeting (Slideshow) #ABAChicago

All Photos by REP3 More on the Annual Meeting ‘09 here: Why is #ABAChicago in our Annual Meeting headlines? Check out our hashtags post: “ABA Annual Meeting 2009 on Twitter” ABA Journal’s Annual Meeting coverage at this link. ABA Annual Meeting site. Interactive updates on the Annual Meeting from ABA…

Aug 2, 2009 2:32 PM CDT