The pay gap between women and minority equity partners and their male counterparts can be up to $140,000 annually, said panelists during “The Credit Crisis – How Compensation Practices Adversely Affect the Advancement of Women and Minorities in the Law and How We Must Change Them.”

This might be the law you want – then again, it might not. It was no Jedi mind trick. When a powerhouse ABA Annual Meeting panel came together to examine the pros and cons of a federal shield law for journalists, they determined that qualified privilege is the best outcome, but how to get there could be complicated.

When a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, many of her most important questions can’t be answered by a doctor. Will my boss let me take time off for treatment? What if my insurance won’t cover a new treatment? Do I risk losing my benefits if I am not working full time?

As the first woman lawyer in America, Margaret Brent was a role model for generations of women. Five women lawyers following in her trailblazing footsteps were honored on Sunday for their unique contributions to the legal profession at the 19th Annual Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Awards Luncheon in Chicago.

David H. Souter, retired as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, challenged ABA members at the Opening Assembly for the 2009 Annual Meeting to “take on the job of making American civic education real again.”

“Lawyers in our living rooms” – the idea of legal programs and their impact on popular culture has received much more than its 15 minutes of fame this month. An Annual Meeting panel, a new book, an ABA Journal cover story and a public program all spotlighted the many TV shows, from “Perry Mason” to “Law & Order” to “Judge Judy,” that inform and entertain the public about the fascinating world of lawyers and courtrooms.

Layoffs, deferrals and lateral moves litter the lawyer landscape in a profession that seemed nearly recession proof in past economic downturns. Not this time around.

How could the changing composition of the court, domestic and international law, popular opinion and exonerations affect how future death penalty cases are decided? Experts in the field, including former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement, came together to read the tea leaves during “Future of the Death Penalty in the United States Supreme Court,” a Saturday panel program at the ABA Annual Meeting.

The Section of Litigation’s International Human Rights Award was presented Friday to Ed Rekosh of the Public Interest Law Institute – a leading international human rights advocacy organization that provides pro bono services around the world. Rekosh’s inspiring story set the stage for a call for litigators to renew their commitment to access to justice for all.

Among many questions remaining unresolved in dealing with persons detained as suspected terrorists post 9/11 is how to distinguish between conduct of “unlawful combatants” and that of criminals. Another goes to where such cases can and should be tried.

The tsunami of foreclosures that has swept the U.S. market and rippled throughout the world’s economy was the subject of several CLE programs at the ABA’s Annual Meeting in Chicago. The various panels examined how we got here and what the foreclosure crisis means to lawyers and their clients. Panelists introduced new programs unique to their communities, but applicable more broadly when tailored to local situations. Here are a couple of examples.

It’s a pleasure to be with you as we meet in Chicago, the ABA’s headquarters city and such a wonderful Annual Meeting destination. Jan and I renew our love with Chicago every time we visit. We hope you have plenty of opportunities to enjoy yourselves while you’re here.