The requirements for gaining admission into the United States through the Special Immigrant Visa Program is bureaucratic and has prevented asylum applicants from obtaining the protection they need, experts said at an ABA Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities panel.

In magazines, on billboards, attached to juice cartons and online, POM Wonderful peddled its 100 percent pomegranate juice as a preventative tool in the fight against heart disease, prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction.

When Instagram — a popular photo-sharing mobile application — updated its terms of service, a viral backlash immediately emerged. Several users rejected the premise that Instagram could use their photos in advertisements and for other purposes without their consent or compensation. Instagram was forced to revise its terms of service and removed the controversial language.

If a cybercriminal hacks into your network and steals your files, what legal right do you have to track down the thief and perhaps hack into his network and recover or destroy the files? National security experts discussed the legality of varying degrees of such “active” cyber defense, as opposed to passive efforts to lock down information through conventional cybersecurity measures.

Carefully consider the attorney-client privilege, documentation and scope upfront when confronted with a Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigation. An experienced panel of prosecutors, defense lawyers and others advised on how to prepare your business client going into an investigation, what to do during a review and some of the elements that are considered during the sentencing phase, at a Criminal Justice Section-sponsored program Feb. 8 during the ABA Midyear Meeting in Dallas.

Wayman pointed to housing services for juvenile survivors of sex trafficking as not only effective, but also cost-effective. One study he cited found that the average annual cost for one detention bed is approximately $88,000, while the average cost of one supportive housing unit, with ancillary services, is only $18,000.

The American Bar Association Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession honored six lawyers with 2013 Spirit of Excellence Awards today for their significant contributions to advancing diversity in the profession.

ABA President Laurel Bellows kicked off the Midyear Meeting program “Human Trafficking 101 for Lawyers and Judges: Understanding the Issue – Exploring Solutions” with an impassioned plea: “We’ve got real slaves in this country,” Bellows said.

Across America, notario fraud is a common practice. The ABA Midyear Meeting panel “The Unauthorized Practice of Law: Responses from the Bar” on Friday examined how attorneys can better respond to these abuses in their communities.

The Law Fellows Outreach Program of University of California, Los Angeles, received the 2013 Raymond Pace and Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander Award for Excellence in Pipeline Diversity. The award is sponsored by the American Bar Association Council for Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Educational Pipeline.

According to John Simek, vice president of Sensei Enterprises, “we’re addicted to our phones.” He cited that 58 percent of smartphone users can’t go one hour without checking their phones.

The American Bar Association Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity today recognized three lawyers with the inaugural Stonewall Award during a ceremony at the ABA Midyear Meeting in Dallas.