More regulation and oversight for corporate America are on the forefront of congressional debates. In light of this, businesses should be knowledgeable about internal investigation protocol and how to be prepared in a world where communication channels seem endless, and are discoverable through E-discovery. Legal experts gathered recently to discuss “Nuts & Bolts: How to Conduct an Effective Ethical Internal Investigation,” during the American Bar Association’s Internal Corporate Investigations and Forum for In-House Counsel 2010 meeting.

The American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division and the General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Division, in conjunction with the Virgin Islands Bar Association, will host its Spring Conference beginning Thursday, May 13, and ending Saturday, May 15, in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. With headquarters at the Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort & Spa, the conference will provide three days of networking, continuing legal education and community service opportunities.

The second annual Diversity Leadership Award was presented at the Section of Litigation welcome reception in April. This year’s recipients included Indiana Supreme Court Justice Frank Sullivan Jr. and the Coca-Cola Company Legal Division. “This year’s recipients have proven their commitment to diversity through long-standing efforts to make a difference in improving the opportunities for all,” said Section Chair Lorna Schofield of New York.

When it comes to defamation suits about online comments, no one wins, according to Laurence Wilson, general counsel of the San Francisco-based Yelp! Wilson told a panel, “Astroturfing, Take-Downs and Anonymous Commentary: Protecting (and Enhancing) Reputation,” during the American Bar Association Business Law Section 2010 Spring Meeting that defending against online defamation often ricochets back on the victim.

In its July 5, 1993, issue, The New Yorker ran a cartoon by Peter Steiner showing a dog at a computer saying to his canine friend, “On the Internet nobody knows you’re a dog.” While online anonymity may have been the case in 1993, the intervening years – with advances in data collection, biometric information and global positioning, as well as with surveillance cameras everywhere – have shown that anonymity is rapidly becoming extinct.

Planning an annual meeting can be stressful for corporate secretaries and other members of a company’s law department. Margaret M. (Peggy) Foran, executive vice president, general counsel and secretary at Sara Lee, offered her suggestions for success.

ABA Day brings hundreds of state, local and specialty leaders to Washington D.C. each year for visits with members of Congress, legislative training and issues briefings. During the three-day event, held April 20 – 22, bar associations and individuals who have been active and effective in lobbying their congressional delegations throughout the year are honored in front of their peers with the ABA Day Grassroots Award.

Even with increased demands on their time, corporate law departments and their law firms are willing to make time to do pro bono work, according to a panel at the American Bar Association Business Law Section 2010 Spring Meeting in Denver on April 23.

The American Bar Association Section of Family Law joined with Parkway Partners during the section’s Spring Conference in New Orleans April 14 – 17 to contribute to the city’s ongoing revitalization efforts. Members of the section spent four hours on April 15 planting Bogalusa, or long-leaf pine, at the base of more than 100 trees along the Broad Street corridor.

The intersection of marriage, long-term care and the rights of those involved will be among the issues explored at the upcoming meeting of the American Bar Association Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities spring council meeting May 15-17 in New Orleans.

On April 12, members of the American Bar Association met with United Nations’ officials as part of the annual ABA Day at the U.N. For more than 15 years, ABA members have been meeting with U.N. officials to discuss how association members can assist in mobilizing various initiatives through reports, projects and policy endorsements of U.N. treaties.

Sonia Nazario, board member of Kids in Need of Defense and author of the book Enrique’s Journey, will deliver the keynote address at the opening plenary of the 2010 Equal Justice Conference on Thursday, May 13.