Langevin will discuss steps needed to protect national assets from cybersecurity threats, and the role that lawyers in the public and private sector can play in helping ensure the safety of the nation’s infrastructure and homeland security.  In his roles as ranking member of the Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, and member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Langevin has been active in raising awareness of cybersecurity issues in Congress and with the administration.

Additional information can be found online.

There is no charge for media covering this event.  For media credentials and more information please contact Maria Gutierrez at 202-662-1091, Maria.Gutierrez@Americanbar.org.

The ABA Section of Science & Technology Law helps to define the legal frontiers of scientific discovery and technological innovation and shape related law and policy. The Section has over 13,000 members, with diverse backgrounds in areas such as e-commerce law, communications law, and law relating to engineering, physics, biology, and medicine. It works through 26 substantive committees to explore topics such as e-commerce, information security, privacy, digital evidence, rights and responsibilities of scientists, nanotechnology, homeland security, and biotechnology and the law.

With nearly 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world.  As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.

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Associate Justice Scalia will address ABA members and answer questions from the audience in “A Conversation with Justice Scalia” on Feb. 4^th from 2 – 3:30 p.m., Rhythms Ballroom I/II, 2^nd Floor, Sheraton New Orleans.  Ronald A. Cass, dean emeritus of Boston University School of Law and president of Cass & Associates, PC, will engage Justice Scalia in a wide-ranging conversation on his views and experiences on judging, interpretation and other topics.

Later that evening, Justice Scalia will receive the Distinguished Honorary Fellow Award in recognition of a lifetime of sustained and significant professional achievement and public service during the “56^th Annual Fellows Award Reception and Banquet” from 6 – 10 p.m., 945 Magazine Street, The National WWII Museum.  Justice Scalia will receive the award at 8:50 p.m.

Still camera, pencil and pad coverage only.  Photographs will be permitted briefly before the afternoon program begins.  Recording devices permitted for note-taking purposes but not for broadcast. Reporters may not ask questions during the “Conversation with Justice Scalia.”

With nearly 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the world’s largest voluntary professional membership organization.  As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.

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Editor’s Note: For Justice Scalia’s appearance, please refer to ABA press credential guidelines. To register at the Midyear Meeting, media must present a government-issued photo I.D. (such as a driver’s license) and valid media credentials.

Registration for the Midyear Meeting is on-site at the Sheraton New Orleans, 2^nd Floor, and will begin Feb. 1.  A press room for accredited reporters will be provided at the Armstrong Ballroom, 8^th Floor, of the Sheraton New Orleans, starting at 9 a.m. on Feb. 2.  The room will be open daily thereafter from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and will close one hour after the adjournment of the House of Delegates on Feb. 6.

Press inquiries regarding logistics should be directed to Alexandra Buller at the ABA at 202-662-1508. On-site, contact ABA Media Relations staff in the press room at 504-681-5453.

Since his appointment as National Counterintelligence executive in 2009, Bryant established a U.S. counterintelligence program that reflects the evolving threats to American interests with a strong focus on insider threats, emerging technical threats, cyber security and economic espionage.  Bryant was also the lead for security within the intelligence community and oversaw the DNI’s authorities as security executive agent where he was responsible for security clearance reform, reciprocity and access across the U.S. government.

Before joining the office of DNI, Bryant served as the deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation where he oversaw investigations into the bombings of the federal building in Oklahoma City and Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia.  He established a crime prevention “Safe Streets Program,” which led to the development of more than 170 anti-crime task forces throughout the country.  Bryant also served as president and chief executive officer of the National Insurance Crime Bureau, where he worked to detect, prevent and deter insurance-related crime.

WHO:
Robert “Bear” Bryant
Former National Counterintelligence Executive,
Office of the Director of National Intelligence

WHAT:
“Issues in Counterintelligence: A Perspective of 40 Years”
Sponsored by the ABA Standing Committee on Law & National Security

WHEN:
Tuesday, Jan. 31
Noon – 1:30 p.m.

WHERE:
Army and Navy Club
901 17th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C.

For media credentialing, please contact Alexandra Buller at Alexandra.Buller@Americanbar.org. There is no charge for media to attend this event.

With nearly 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world.  As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.

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The event comes at a critical time.  Forty-two states cut funding for their judiciaries in 2011, reducing access to justice for thousands of Americans, according to the National Center for State Courts.  In San Francisco, the Superior Court says divorce cases can take up to 18 months to be heard.  New York’s courts end promptly at 4:30 p.m. to avoid overtime costs.  Massachusetts has lost more than 1,100 trial court employees through attrition to save money.  These and other examples highlight the severity of the crisis.

The first forum (10 – 11:30 a.m.) will feature members of the court and bar, including Thomas B. Darr, deputy court administrator for Pennsylvania’s judiciary, and Curtis L. Child, director of the governmental affairs office for the California court system.  The panelists will describe the challenges of the current economic climate and present successful tools for efficiency in courts around the country.  The second forum (1 – 2:30 p.m.) will be composed of budget directors and legislators, including Ohio Senate President Pro Tempore Keith Faber, who will detail the most effective strategies for the judiciary during the legislative budget process and beyond.

The Task Force on Preservation of the Justice System was founded in 2010 to address the issue of declining budgets and increasing workloads in our state court systems.  It is comprised of distinguished attorneys and judges from across the nation.  William K. Weisenberg and Mary C. McQueen serve as vice chairs.

Online registration for news reporters is easier than ever for this event.

Credential guidelines are at http://www.abanow.org/reporter-resources/media-credentials/.

For more information on the crisis in our courts, please click here.

With nearly 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world.  As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.

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Guests will explore how to address trafficking issues, including the need for corporate stakeholders to get involved, ways to develop innovative prevention methods and legislation in Illinois that could address the problems.

WHO:
ABA Section of International Law, International Human Rights Committee

• Anita Alvarez, Cook County State’s Attorney
• Tianne Bataille, Former Senior Counsel at Accenture LLP, and Chair of the Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services Anti-Trafficking Signature Program
• Rachel Durchslag, Founder and Executive Director, Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation
• Gunilla Ekberg, Professor, Master’s Programme in International Human Rights at the Faculty of Law and the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at the University of Lund, Sweden
• Jennifer Greene, Violence Against Women Policy Advisor to Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez
• Lynne Johnson, Police and Advocacy Director, Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation
• Maria Woltjen, Director of the Immigrant Child Advocacy Project

WHAT:
Sex Trafficking from the Boardroom to the Classroom: Prevention, Intervention & Prosecution

WHEN:
Jan. 10
10 a.m. – Noon CST

WHERE:
Vedder Price P.C.
222 N. LaSalle Street
Chicago

With nearly 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world.  As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.

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Editor’s Note: There is no charge for media covering this event.  For media credentials to attend this event, please contact Rabiah Alicia Burks, ABA Communications & Media Relations, at rabiah.burks@americanbar.org or 202-662-1002.

The American Bar Association’s Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law is addressing these issues by offering legal training that can help lawyers provide pro bono representation for tenants living in properties on the verge of foreclosure, owners who may face bankruptcy proceedings and lenders holding mortgage debt.

WHO:
The American Bar Association’s Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law

WHAT:
Community Outreach Program: The Bankruptcy Code’s Effect on Mortgages and Leases

WHEN:
Jan. 9 – Mar. 12
Monday evenings, 6:30 – 8:55 p.m.

WHERE:
First American Title Insurance Company
633 Third Avenue
New York, NY

Guest speakers will review the structure of the bankruptcy code, pre-bankruptcy planning, the rights of mortgagors and mortgagees, avoidance actions, bankruptcy remote structuring, unexpired leases and executory contracts.

Highlights include:

“How Chapter 13 Works” – Who is eligible?  How does bankruptcy affect stays on collections, creditors and co-debtors?  What are the federal income tax consequences?
Feb. 6

“Rights of Mortgagors and Mortgagees Under Chapter 11” – How does Chapter 11 work? How can businesses apply for and receive credit?  What do companies need to know about reorganizations and post-confirmation issues?
Feb. 13

Additional information as well as a link to the full programming agenda can be found here.

There is no charge for media covering this event.  For media credentialing please contact Maria Gutierrez at 202-662-1091 or Maria.Gutierrez@Americanbar.org.=

With nearly 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world.  As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.

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With families together during this season and New Year’s resolutions right around the corner, the holidays provide a good opportunity to talk about important life decisions.

Existing health care power of attorney forms in most states are saturated with legal terms that generally discourage people from completing them.  Other advance directives go into the details of end-of-life instructions.  The new guide, however, requires the individual to simply do three things: 1) Think carefully about whom you want as your health care agent; 2) Provide guidance for the agent to make treatment decisions for you; and 3) Fill out the form and sign in the presence of two witnesses.

“The new booklet and form focuses on the single most important legal task—that of appointing a health care ‘agent’ or ‘proxy’ with the authority to make all health care decisions for you if you’re unable to speak for yourself,” said Jeff Snell, chair of the ABA Commission on Law and Aging.  “By focusing on this one task, some (but not all) of the barriers in state law are avoided.”

State laws make it nearly impossible to have a national advance directive, but the ABA has developed a guide that is applicable in every state with the exceptions of Indiana, New Hampshire, Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin.

The publication, Giving Someone a Power of Attorney for Your Health Care: A Guide with an Easy-to-Use Legal Form for All Adults, was made possible by grants from the Archstone Foundation and the California HealthCare Foundation.  It is available for free online in both English and Spanish versions.

Since every adult approaches health care decision-making differently, having various options is the key to making sure people actually complete the process.  For example, another widely used option is the Five Wishes advance directive, produced by the group Aging with Dignity.  Five Wishes provides detailed guidance on a wide range of end-of-life health and personal matters. Through its new easy-to-use form, the ABA provides another option for easing the health care decision-making process.

With nearly 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world.  As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.

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Securities fraud experts from the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Securities and Exchange, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Enforcement, judges, prosecutors, regulators, compliance officers, in-house practitioners and defense counsel will discuss the legal and ethical issues that arise in securities fraud matters.

Who:
Featured speakers include:

• Lanny A. Breuer, assistant attorney general, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice
• James D. Cox, Brainerd Currie Professor of Law, Duke University School of Law
• Robert S. Khuzami, director, Division of Enforcement, U.S. Securities and Exchange

What:
The Sixth Annual National Institute on Securities Fraud
Co-sponsored by the ABA Business Law Section, Criminal Justice Section, Section of Litigation and Center for Continuing Legal Education

When:
Nov. 3 – 4

Where:
The Westin New Orleans
Canal Place
100 Rue Iberville
New Orleans
(800) 681-9073

Additional information as well as a link to the full agenda can be found online.

For media credentialing, please contact Alexandra Buller at Alexandra.Buller@Americanbar.org. There is no charge for media to attend this event.

With nearly 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world.  As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.

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News reporters may attend the conference at no charge, interview panelists by phone and receive conference materials. For media credentials or for other information, please contact Ira Pilchen, ira.pilchen@americanbar.org, 312-988-5743.

Please click here for a full conference agenda. Conference sessions include:

The Many Faces of Harassment—A 360-Degree Look at Litigating Claims of Harassment Discrimination. Panelists include William R. Tamayo, EEOC, San Francisco, and Genice Rabe, Northwest Workers’ Justice Project, Portland, Ore. (Nov. 3, 11:20 a.m. – 12:20 p.m.).

Whistleblower Claims—A Flurry of Developments That Employment Lawyers Need to Understand. Panelists include Sean McKessy, SEC Whistleblower Office, Washington, D.C. (Nov. 3, 3:50 – 4:50 p.m.).

Meet the National Labor Relations Board. The current board and its predecessor have made significant changes in the interpretation and application of the National Labor Relations Act. NLRB commissioners from Washington, D.C., will serve as panelists (Nov. 3, 11:20 a.m. – 12:20 p.m.).

Meet the National Labor Relations Board General Counsel. (Nov. 3, 3:50 – 4:50 p.m.)

Breaking News from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. EEOC commissioners from Washington, D.C., will serve as panelists (Nov. 4, 11:20 a.m. – 12:20 p.m.).

In the Trenches: Meet the NLRB Regional Directors. Regional directors from Seattle, San Francisco and Denver will serve as panelists (Nov. 4, 11:20 a.m. – 12:20 p.m.).

With nearly 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the world’s largest voluntary professional membership organization. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.

The 25,000 members of the ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law represent all perspectives of labor and employment law: employer, union, employee, public, and neutral.  All are committed to a balanced discussion of employment issues in the U.S. and abroad.

What:
ABA Annual Labor and Employment Law Conference,
sponsored by the ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law

When:
Nov. 2 – 5

Where:
The Westin Seattle Hotel

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To become accredited, law schools must comply with each of the Standards for Approval of Law Schools.  Standard 509 requires that law schools publish basic consumer information, including placement data.  “The information shall be published in a fair and accurate manner reflective of actual practice.” The ABA relies on law schools to provide fair and accurate information, which we publish for use by prospective students. Law schools that violate Standard 509 risk the loss of accreditation or other serious penalty, as was the case with the false reporting of admissions data by Villanova University School of Law earlier this year.

In light of the recent revelations of violations or possible violations of Standard 509 by two law schools, the section chair has directed the Standards Review Committee to draft a new standard that provides for specific and severe penalties for the intentional misreporting of placement data, including possible monetary fines and loss of accreditation.  The Standards Review Committee is scheduled to take up the matter immediately.

The Questionnaire Committee of the section is comprehensively expanding the section’s approach to the collection and publication of placement data to ensure that it is more accurate, timelier, more complete and more specific.

Going forward, the section has determined that law schools will be required to report placement data directly to the section — rather than solely to the National Association of Law Placement — in an effort to increase clarity, accuracy and accountability on these issues. Information will be required for each individual graduate as of nine months after graduation.

In undertaking this effort, the Council is improving upon the NALP definitions, so that the most complete and accurate information will be requested from, and reported by, law schools.

The section is expanding and refining the quality of placement data reported by law schools. This will be done in two phases:

• Beginning with 2010 graduates, we are asking schools to provide employment status, type, location, whether short or long term, and whether employment is funded by the school itself. The 2010 questionnaire reflects these changes, and the information will be reported on the section website and in the next ABA-LSAC Official Guide to Law Schools.

• Employment data regarding whether the employment requires a J.D. and/or bar passage, relates to other professions, and is full time or part time, will be required going forward. We are refining the questions and the definitions used by NALP so that they are fully clear and accurate.  When finalized, they will be part of the 2011 questionnaire going out next spring.

The section is expediting the collection and reporting of placement data.  Unlike in years past, employment data for each school will be published one year after graduation, so that students entering in a given fall semester will have placement information for the class that graduated the previous year.  The 2011 graduating class data will be reported in the summer of 2012, fully one year earlier than in previous years.

There should be no doubt that the section is fully committed to the clarity and accuracy of law school placement data.  By vigorously enforcing the standard that requires fair and accurate reporting of consumer information — and by having law schools report more comprehensive, specific consumer information — we hope to ensure that students who choose to enter law school will be better informed about the prospects for employment than ever before.

The Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar and its Accreditation Committee are both recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) as the only federal accreditors for programs leading to the first degree in law. In this function, the Section and its Council are separate and independent of the ABA, as required by DOE regulations.

With nearly 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world.  As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.

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