Today the American Bar Association celebrates the life, commitment to justice and dauntless courage of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. America has advanced in remarkable ways, thanks to the leadership and perseverance of leaders like Dr. King. He was an extraordinary inspiration.

It is fitting that the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights strongly protects Americans’ freedom to choose and express their individual faith. This country is fortunate that our founders recognized the importance of creating a country where church and state were clearly separate. That’s why, 225 years ago today, Thomas Jefferson’s landmark Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom was adopted by the Virginia General Assembly, and why this date is celebrated as National Religious Freedom Day.

“When I was 11, I was told that a woman’s role was in the kitchen, but I want to have a different story,” said Norma Perez, a junior at San Francisco’s Mission High School. Perez was one of five students who testified at the second regional hearing of the American Bar Association’s Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights and Responsibilities held Thursday in San Francisco.

The American Bar Association (ABA) condemns the Iranian government’s conviction and sentencing of lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, after an unfair trial, on charges of “acting against national security” and making “propaganda against the system” in defending fellow lawyers accused of crimes related to their human rights advocacy.

Today’s tragic events are a direct attack on our American way of life and the rule of law. We deeply mourn all who were killed and injured, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. The loss of U.S. District Court Chief Judge John Roll, a respected and admired jurist, is deeply felt by the American Bar Association and all those in the legal community.

In the quest for “justice for all,” a major victory was won today. Congress has acted to protect a critical funding stream for legal aid to the poor, legal education, and the administration of justice by continuing unlimited FDIC coverage for Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA).

At last, the American legal profession has clear and final relief from attempts to solve a non-existent problem that would have created paper-pushing and raised legal costs. President Obama has signed into law legislation that clarifies how the Federal Trade Commission should apply the Red Flags Rule. Congressional leaders who addressed this problem deserve the profession’s appreciation.

While the Senate was not able to proceed on a vote regarding the DREAM Act, the importance of this legislation is in no way diminished. The American Bar Association looks forward to working with members of both parties to enact sensible immigration reform, including passage of this act.

All people are born free, with fundamental rights and hopes. These rights deserve respect, and lawyers play an important role in ensuring their protection. The story of immigration in all its forms is as old as America itself, and has made our country a leader in human rights and prosperity. This country has always been a beacon for immigrants from every corner of the Earth. This includes those who come seeking the hard and temporary work of migrant labor.

More than two hundred years ago today, what Americans call the “Bill of Rights” — the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution — became the law of the land. Those collective safeguards of American liberty are just as important today as they were the day they were ratified.

There is no more courageous or important mission than the fight for human rights and dignity. On Human Rights Day 2010, the American Bar Association recognizes those who fight injustice in their home countries and around the globe. While lawyers play an important role in protecting the rule of law based on universal human rights principles, we are but part of the solution.

In light of the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM Act) coming to a vote in Congress, President Stephen N. Zack of the American Bar Association urges Senators and Representatives to vote in favor of the DREAM Act in a letter to Congress.