When we think about leadership in the United States, it’s not uncommon to assign the notion of “good” to leaders, as if goodness is an inherent part of leadership just like intelligence, competence, persistence or sociability.

Best practices when working with child victims of crime were examined by an expert panel during a Friday Midyear Meeting session sponsored by the Criminal Justice Section, “Practical Skills for Attorneys, Judges, Prosecutors, Child Victim Advocates and Defense Attorneys to Better Serve Children.”

Every nine-and-a-half minutes, someone in the United States is infected with HIV, according to a presentation called “HIV and the Rule of Law: A Legal Roadmap for a New Administration” given at the American Bar Association’s Midyear Meeting in Boston.

“Even if you’re not in the information business, you’re in the information business,” observed technology expert Steve Emmett during the Saturday Midyear Meeting program “Privacy in the Digital World of the Internet, E-Commerce, and Post-9/11 America.” Emmett and other panelists examined of the rise of technology and society’s increasing use of it.

In the Midyear Meeting program “Elevating Your Advocacy: Understanding the Differences Between Litigating Trial and Appellate Courts,” an expert panel of lawyers and judges provided an audience of young lawyers with sound advice on trial and appellate court litigation.

Eight members of the American Bar Association were admitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces during a special swearing-in ceremony on Friday during the ABA Midyear Meeting in Boston.

Consideration of race and racism is moving beyond black versus white confrontations in the national discussion, and as it does, issues become exponentially more complicated. That was the clear message coming out of the ABA Midyear Meeting program “The Assumption of Justice: A Dialogue on Color, Ethnicity and the Courts.”

The criminal justice system is facing its biggest crisis ever–the rise of juvenile offenders. Professor Charles Ogletree, Harvard Law School, led a dynamic panel on this subject during the Friday ABA Midyear Meeting program, “The New Paradigm of Juvenile Justice,” exploring ways to address the problem.

A day-long series of programs Friday on public school reform and at-risk students concluded with the panel, “Students Rights: Free Expression and Beyond,” that focused on student rights and included an exploration of the benefits of free speech in schools.

Harvard University leadership expert Barbara Kellerman argues that past studies of leadership have missed a vital element: an examination of followers.

Going green is more than just a passing trend—it’s an important part of the ABA’s commitment to the environment and our collective well-being as a planet.

The American Bar Association’s 70th Midyear Meeting will bring more than 3,000 legal professionals and their families to Boston, Feb. 11 – 17.