Report from Governmental Affairs

ABA produces guidebook on lobbying for state and local bar associations

The ABA Governmental Affairs Office, which spearheads the association’s advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill, also maintains a strong relationship with state and local bar leaders who are engaged in their own lobbying efforts. It is a long-standing relationship, as well. Nearly 30 years ago, the GAO supported the creation of…

Feb 1, 2013 7:20 AM CST

Growing Pains: ABA Urges Congress to Consider New Policies to Hold Down Prison Costs, Populations

In 1980, federal prisons housed 24,000 people at an annual cost of $333 million. But the number of inmates in federal prison facilities now has ballooned more than 800 percent to 217,000, at a cost of $6 billion per year—the same amount the U.S. Bureau of Prisons has spent on…

Dec 1, 2012 7:30 AM CST

Last-Minute Business: ABA Urges US Senate to Approve Ratification of Disabilities Convention

The ABA and other proponents of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities are hoping that the Senate will vote before the end of this year to approve ratification by the United States. Supporters of the convention maintain that ratification would allow the United States to reaffirm its…

Nov 1, 2012 6:20 AM CDT

Civil Solution: ABA Says Those Facing Removal from the US Shouldn’t Be Treated Like Criminals

As the federal government detains growing numbers of individuals facing deportation proceedings, the ABA is calling for reforms to ensure that detention facilities provide them with living conditions appropriate to their civil status and access to adequate legal representation. The most recent action by the association on the issue came…

Oct 1, 2012 5:49 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

All In: For the First Time, Every State Is Represented at the Annual ABA Lobbying Event in D.C.

This report is written by the ABA Governmental Affairs Office and discusses advocacy efforts by the ABA relating to issues being addressed by Congress and the executive branch of the federal government. Every spring, hundreds of state and local bar leaders descend on Capitol Hill to lobby members of Congress…

Jun 1, 2012 6:40 AM CDT

ABA Support for a Proposal to Reduce Immigration Cases Finally Pays Off

For years, the ABA called for the federal government to make greater use of prosecutorial discretion as a way to reduce the number of people going into the immigration court system. Finally, it appears someone was listening. In August, a joint task force of the departments of Homeland Security and…

Nov 1, 2011 6:20 AM CDT

Slow Motions: ABA Urges Cooperation Between Branches to Fill Federal Judicial Vacancies

Over the past two years, the rate of unfilled judgeships in the federal district and appellate courts has hovered around 10 percent. That persistently high vacancy rate is a subject of mounting concern to the ABA, which views a fully operating federal bench as crucial to preserving the quality and…

Jul 1, 2011 5:50 AM CDT

The ABA Adjusts Its Lobbying Efforts to Suit a New Climate on Capitol Hill

It did not take long for the seismic impact of the November elections to be felt throughout the federal government and in the public sector, as many programs supported by the ABA and other organizations are now finding themselves under siege. While the Obama administration and members of both political…

Apr 1, 2011 5:40 AM CDT