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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.

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.

Thanks for Standing Up for Access to Justice and Rule of Law, Says ABA President

Martha — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 20:16:11 +0000

Working to make a positive difference elevates the legal profession, said ABA President Wm. T. (Bill) Robinson III, who spoke at the National Pro Bono Summit in Washington, D.C. to kick off Celebrate Pro Bono Week, held this year October 23-29.

The summit, sponsored by the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service, brought together 120 leaders of the legal profession to discuss innovative approaches for involving lawyers in meeting the needs of the nation’s poor. Participants identified the issues and obstacles to expanding pro bono services to develop concrete action steps to achieve better delivery of legal services to those who need it most.

ABA President Says Independent Judiciary Critical to Assure Access to Justice for Everyone

Martha — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 20:14:52 +0000

The legal community still has a long way to go to achieve a truly independent judiciary, said ABA President Wm. T. (Bill) Robinson III, who spoke at the National Pro Bono Summit to kick off Celebrate Pro Bono Week, held this year October 23-29.

2011 Rule of Law Award Presented to Michelle Bachelet by Stephen N. Zack

Mitch — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:13:36 +0000

ABA immediate past president Stephen N. Zack introduces the 2011 Rule of Law Award winner, Michelle Bachelet.

United Nations Under-Secretary-General Michelle Bachelet, a woman of many firsts, is the recipient of the 2011 Rule of Law Award from the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative. Bachelet, also the executive director of U.N. Women and former president of Chile, received the award Oct. 5 at 9 p.m. during ABA ROLI’s Annual Rule of Law Award Dinner at the Mayflower Renaissance Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Bachelet, the first woman president of Chile and first female minister of defense in Latin America, is the first Hispanic to be presented with the ABA Rule of Law Award. Bachelet, who held ministerial portfolios in the Chilean government, introduced gender policies intended to improve the conditions of women in the military and police forces; and implemented health care reform, increasing attention on primary care facilities, with the aim of ensuring better and faster health care response for families.

Zack on Critical Need for Women in Law; Bachelet on Women’s Legal Progress

Mitch — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:12:24 +0000

ABA immediate past president Stephen N. Zack introduces the 2011 Rule of Law Award winner, Michelle Bachelet.