ABANow - ABA Media Relations & Communication Services » Multimedia

Judicial Clerkship Program Enhances Diversity in the Profession

John — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:21:57 +0000

Nearly 100 minority law students are learning first-hand from judges around the country what it’s like to be a law clerk through a program sponsored by the ABA Judicial Division and the ABA Council on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Educational Pipeline. The ABA Judicial Clerkship Program provides structured networking and educational activities to simulate the law clerk experience, giving the students invaluable insight.

President Robinson Welcomes Nearly 4,000 to ABA Midyear Meeting in New Orleans

John — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:35:13 +0000

President Robinson welcomes members and guests to the 73rd ABA Midyear Meeting, where 3,900 registrants will attend programs on an array of topics, including the state court funding crisis, efforts to ensure access to justice, foreclosure prevention and disaster preparedness.

In addition to the nearly 800 events at the premier gathering of legal professionals, the ABA House of Delegates—the association’s policy-making body—will meet Feb. 6 to address issues ranging from law enforcement access to third-party records, to the regulation by courts or legislative bodies of state and local bar associations.

For more information, click here.

Young Lawyers Salute New Orleans Veterans

Julie — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:09:12 +0000

Michael Bergmann, chair of the ABA Young Lawyers Division, discusses ”Project Salute: Young Lawyers Serving Veterans,” previewing a free legal clinic covering Veterans Administration disability and pension benefits for veterans in New Orleans, Feb. 3 from 2 – 5 p.m., VFW Post 8973, 531 Lyons St.

First Amendment Expert Analyzes “Fleeting Expletives” Case

Mitch — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:38:34 +0000

On January 10, 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear FCC v. Fox Television Stations, a case disputing a Court of Appeals decision invalidating the Federal Communication Commission’s finding that broadcasts including expletives and nudity were indecent.

At issue is whether the FCC’s current indecency-enforcement regime violates the First or Fifth Amendment.

Paul Smith, a lawyer with the Washington, D.C. office of Jenner and Block who has handled a number of high-profile First Amendment cases, comments on the case.

For more information, see the ABA Division for Public Education’s analysis of the case in Preview, a subscription publication that provides, in advance of oral argument, expert, plain-language analysis of all cases given plenary review by the Supreme Court.

We Have a Duty to Help the Press, says Kessler

Julie — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 01:34:17 +0000

Randall Kessler, who often represents sports and entertainment figures in his Atlanta family law practice, shared his insights on trying high-profile cases during a Nov. 21 webinar exclusively for ABA members.

Kessler says he treats the news media as a potential ally. As a frequent legal news commentator, he said lawyers perform a great service when they talk to reporters and explain the process for the benefit of readers and viewers, rather than “sit back and wait for the press to say something and then complain that the press got it wrong.”

“No Comment” May Put You At a Disadvantage, Says Boies

Mitch — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 21:57:14 +0000

David Boies, one of America’s leading litigators shared his insights on trying high-profile cases during a Nov. 21 webinar exclusively for ABA members. Chairman of Boies, Schiller & Flexner in Armonk, N.Y., his latest clients include National Basketball Association players and the National Football League.

Boies noted, “”It’s not ordinarily possible simply to say ‘no comment’” to the media.

“If you’re not out there countering what your opponent is saying, you’re often going to be in the same position that you would be in court, if only one side could talk,” he added.

Media Coverage of High Profile Cases Can Serve Educational Function, says Lynn

Mitch — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 21:55:39 +0000

U.S. District Judge Barbara Lynn, of Dallas, shared her insights on trying high-profile cases during a Nov. 21 webinar exclusively for ABA members.

“There is a very important educational function that can be served by the press covering judicial proceedings in a way that hopefully brings credit to our system … ,” Lynn said. “With all its flaws, it’s still a remarkable and unique system. Giving the media the information it needs to do a quality job … is a good thing.”

“Snazzing Up” Clients and Witnesses Won’t Fool Jurors, says Turley

Mitch — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 21:54:55 +0000

Legal news commentator Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University who represents high-profile clients in civil liberties and other cases, shared insights on trying high-profile cases during a Nov. 21 webinar exclusively for ABA members.

On the topic of coaching clients and witnesses, Turley said, “(It’s) not how to snazz them up, how to make them slick, but to make sure they’re believable. “Jurors are very insightful. They know when folks are acting. They know when they’re insincere.”

“I’d rather have a clumsy client than one who seems artificial,” noted Turley.

Sen. Webb Says He Will Not Give Up on Criminal Justice Act

Mitch — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 14:43:40 +0000

At the ABA Criminal Justice Section’s “Fourth Annual Sentencing & Re-entry Institute and Criminal Justice Legal Educators Colloquium” on Oct. 28, Sen. Jim Webb assured the legal community that he will not give up on the National Criminal Justice Commission Act, which recently failed in Congress. The bill would have created a bipartisan commission of experts charged with reviewing the nation’s criminal justice system and offering concrete recommendations for reform.

The colloquium brought together criminal justice experts from around the nation to discuss emerging issues in sentencing and re-entry.

Top US Attorney Urges Lawyers to Volunteer Legal Services

Mitch — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:26:47 +0000

Through observances like Pro Bono Week, lawyers are building a better, brighter future, said U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder at the National Pro Bono Summit on October 24 in Washington, D.C. The summit was organized by the by the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service as an event to open Celebrate Pro Bono Week, held this year October 23-29. Holder said that his office’s Access to Justice Initiative has worked on fifty pro bono cases in the last two years.