When street artist Shepard Fairey created the now-iconic Barack Obama “Hope” poster, he had no idea it would become the unofficial visual centerpiece of the Obama presidential campaign, the subject of several magazine covers and the recent acquisition of the U.S. National Portrait Gallery. But it did.

Back in 2001, Joanna Rudnick seemingly had it all. She was a rising star as a television producer and looked forward to marriage and children. But, after testing positive for the BRCA breast cancer gene, her life turned upside down.

When General Electric genetic engineer Ananda Mohan Chakrabarty developed a bacterium that could break down oil spills, he was first denied a patent. In 1980 that decision was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Federal judges and prosecutors nationwide are confronting a growing number of threats against their lives. Last month, the FBI arrested an Internet blogger from New Jersey on charges of threatening three prominent Chicago judges who authored an anti-gun rights ruling.

Who is the media? How should courts relate to the media? What rules should apply to reporting pre-trial, at trial, after the trial?  This discussion is aimed at understanding the changes in media coverage and foster better relationships between courts and the media. http://www.abanet.org/jd/meetings/2009annual/

In the wake of today’s economic turmoil, receiving fair “credit” for your contributions has never been more important in the practice of law. Yet, the latest research shows an incredible divide between these shared expectations, among even the most well meaning attorneys, and the stark realities of longstanding reward systems in this country’s law firms.

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On behalf of the American Bar Association, it is a pleasure to welcome you to the Annual Meeting. We are pleased to return to Chicago, which offers world class attractions, restaurants, and shops.

On September 11, 2001, thousands of first responders risked their lives to save their fellow Americans. Three hundred and forty-three firefighters, twenty-three police officers, and thirty-seven port-authority police officers made the ultimate sacrifice. Every day, in every town and city across the nation, first responders—firefighters, police, and EMT—put their lives at risk to protect us.

Calling it a “national epidemic,” judges, lawyers, teachers and social workers from around the nation came together in a community forum to discuss how the combination of domestic violence, child abuse and juvenile delinquency is destroying families and ruining the lives of children.

Lawyers form the ABA’s Young Lawyers Division spent Saturday with San Francisco first responders talking about a very serious matter—ensuring the firefighters that their final wishes would be carried out.

Understand your audience – the jurors – and meet them where they are, said jury consultant Tara Trask in opening the program, “Litigation Skills Session: How Jurors Think – Crafting a Jury-Friendly Case from Start to Finish.”

“Appellate Mediation: What Makes It Different and Why Does It Work?” That was the topic of discussion during a Friday afternoon Continuing Legal Education session during the ABA Annual Meeting.