Civil Rights Movement Past and Present Tops Issues of Young Lawyers Conference in Birmingham

CHICAGO, Oct. 8, 2009 — The American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division seeks to inspire a new generation to make a difference and strive for change when it holds its fall conference in Birmingham, Ala., on Oct. 22 – 24, at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel.  As part of the conference, the YLD will kick off its 2009-10 public service project, “They Had a Dream Too: Young Leaders of the Civil Rights Movement.”  The year-long national endeavor will educate 11th and 12th grade students about the role of young leaders in the civil rights movement. 
 
On Thursday, Oct. 22, YLD members will introduce the project, which includes a related Emmy award-winning documentary by the Texas Young Lawyers Association, at two local schools, Vestavia Hills High School and A.H. Parker High School. 
 
A formal launch event for “They Had a Dream Too” takes place on Friday, Oct. 23, when division members will march from the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel to Kelly Ingram Park, home of the historic Children’s March, to honor the civil rights movement’s past young leaders. Featured panelists, including Judge Helen Shores Lee, John Martin and Doug Jones, will share their remembrances on changing the law, the impact of the struggle for civil rights on the lives of all Americans and ideas for keeping the dream of equality alive. The YLD march begins at 11 a.m.
 
To demonstrate the importance of civil rights today, the YLD will present “What is the Right to Vote? The Voting Rights Act, Then and Now,”  a discussion of the act, the rights of citizens prior to its development and recent legal decisions impacting voters and election workers, on Oct. 23.
 
Other topics featured at the fall conference will include ethical responsibilities between judges and lawyers; growing legal careers in a slowing economy; and tips on networking.
 
 Notable programs include:

• “Anatomy of Business Law Part 2: Non Profit Organizations” will cover the basic legal aspects of establishing a non-profit prganization and issues impacting individuals who serve on the board of directors of non-profits: Friday, Oct. 23.
• “Hot Areas in a Down Economy: The Basics of Housing, Bankruptcy and Employment” will include discussion on practice areas that are booming despite the economy:  Friday, Oct. 23.
• “Patients and Practitioners Beware! Mandatory Electronic Records and What You Need to Know” will orient attendees to new medical record laws that are mandating the transition to electronic records: Friday, Oct. 23.
• “Ethical Responsibilities Between Judges and Lawyers in Litigation” will review the ABA Model Rules for Professional Conduct related to courtroom proceedings, concentrating on the interplay beteween judges and lawyers: Saturday, Oct. 24.
• “Networking v. Business Development: The Importance of Doing Both and Knowing the Difference” will provide attendees with tips on facilitating both network building and business solicitation: Saturday, Oct. 24.

For more information on the conference, visit:  https://www.abanet.org/yld/fall09/details.shtml.
  
The American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division is the home for young lawyers. With more than 150,000 members and 300 affiliated groups, the ABA YLD is the largest young lawyer organization in the world.

With nearly 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world.  As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.

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Note to Editors: Accredited reporters are welcome to cover the conference for free. Contact Tamiko M. Lee, ABA Division for Media Relations and Communication Services, at 312/988-5237or leet@staff.abanet.org. For ABA credential guidelines, visit www.abanews.org/credentials.html.