Attorneys nationwide prepare for Law Day celebrations

Kari Burns describes promoting the rule of law as “near and dear” to her heart. That’s why Burns gets involved in Law Day, which is annually May 1 to recognize the rule of law in our society and encourage a greater understanding of the legal profession.

Apr 20, 2023 11:39 AM CDT

Weekly Briefs: Murder cases move slowly in Chicago; Neuriva decision could limit attorney fees

Justice is slow in Chicago

Most murder cases in the county that includes Chicago take four years or longer to resolve, according to a series of investigative stories by the…

Apr 14, 2023 2:21 PM CDT

Why Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records for one $130K hush-money payment

Former President Donald Trump has been charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records as part of an alleged scheme to influence the 2016 presidential election and mischaracterize payments for tax purposes.

Apr 5, 2023 8:36 AM CDT

Meet Judge Juan Merchan, a Colombian immigrant who’s presiding in Trump’s arraignment; not guilty plea is entered

Updated: The New York judge who is presiding Tuesday over the arraignment of former President Donald Trump, Judge Juan Merchan, is a Colombian immigrant who came to the United States with his family at age 6.

Apr 4, 2023 10:26 AM CDT

Experts see these problems with felony-records case against Trump over hush-money payments

The prosecution of former President Donald Trump could pose even more problems than that of former U.S. Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, a former Democratic presidential candidate. Experts saw these potential problems with the prosecution.

Mar 31, 2023 11:24 AM CDT

Trump doesn’t have absolute immunity from civil suits stemming from Jan. 6 Capitol riot, DOJ says

Former President Donald Trump isn’t shielded from liability in civil lawsuits stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot if his speech before the event “encouraged imminent private violent action and was likely to produce such action,” the U.S. Department of Justice said in a brief filed with a federal appeals court.

Mar 3, 2023 9:32 AM CST

Backers of Equal Rights Amendment lose mandamus bid in DC Circuit

The states of Illinois and Nevada lost their bid to make the Equal Rights Amendment part of the Constitution on Tuesday, when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that they did not satisfy the high threshold needed to obtain a writ of mandamus.

Mar 1, 2023 9:31 AM CST

Change is good ‘and will carry us into the future,’ says ABA president-elect nominee Bill Bay

While urging the ABA House of Delegates to recognize that change in the profession is necessary and a challenge, William R. Bay, the president-elect nominee, shared a story about his family.

Feb 6, 2023 3:57 PM CST

Public defender is plaintiff in suit alleging exclusion of felons from Manhattan juries is unconstitutional

A public defender who can’t serve on a New York jury because of a 2009 felony drug conviction is a plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging the state’s ban on jurors with felony convictions as applied in Manhattan, New York City.

Dec 12, 2022 8:43 AM CST

Did CFO of Trump Organization act ‘in behalf of’ company? Fraud conviction appeal will focus on issue

The Trump Organization’s appeal of its tax fraud conviction will partly focus on whether the actions of the chief financial officer were made “in behalf of” the company, according to one of the defense lawyers.

Dec 7, 2022 11:07 AM CST

Trump Organization found guilty of tax fraud; maximum penalty is no more than ‘a rounding error’

Jurors in Manhattan, New York City, convicted the Trump Organization of tax fraud Tuesday following a trial that focused on lavish corporate perks to executives that weren’t reported as income.

Dec 6, 2022 3:55 PM CST

SCOTUS won’t block Jan. 6 committee subpoena for GOP official’s phone records; Trump’s own suit is pending

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an emergency request to block a congressional subpoena for the phone records of Kelli Ward, chair of the Arizona Republican Party.

Nov 14, 2022 11:46 AM CST

ABA helps find permanent homes for Afghan evacuees stuck in Abu Dhabi, other parts of the world

“Since my childhood, I wanted to serve the society and people honestly, and I found lawyering to be a field that could connect me to my dreams,” Afghan refugee Qari Abeera Ziayi says. “So I chose the field of law, and for a long time, I served people a lot through law.” Ziayi left her country in October 2021, and through a foreign organization that assisted female lawyers facing danger in Afghanistan, she was brought to Emirates Humanitarian City.

Nov 10, 2022 9:46 AM CST

Stanford Law School launches rule of law center with ‘significant gift’ from former ABA president

Stanford Law School has announced the launch of a new rule of law center, thanks to a “significant gift” from former ABA President William “Bill” Neukom and his wife, Sally Neukom.

Nov 4, 2022 8:43 AM CDT

Want to strengthen voting rights? The ABA is seeking volunteers for Perfecting Democracy initiative

Two ABA groups have launched initiatives with the aim of strengthening election protection and the public’s trust in the electoral process.

Nov 1, 2022 8:39 AM CDT