Today the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Martinez v. Ryan affirmed the importance of the Sixth Amendment by expanding the ability of federal habeas courts to evaluate the effectiveness of trial counsel. The Court’s decision today is a change from its prior rule that prevented federal court review when appellate counsel was negligent.

In a March 15 letter, American Bar Association President Wm. T. (Bill) Robinson III commended Sen. Lisa Murkowski for her leadership in introducing the Fairness in Disclosure of Evidence Act of 2012. The bill would require the attorney for the government to disclose favorable information to the defendant in criminal cases brought by the United States and help establish uniformity in standards for disclosure duties for prosecutors.

A two-year review of Missouri’s system of capital punishment recommends a number of key reforms to ensure fairness and to guard against executing the innocent. The report—sponsored by the American Bar Association and released at a press conference at the State Capitol in Jefferson City—suggests several specific, achievable reforms to remedy problems in the capital punishment system, as identified by the group.

An American Bar Association project has been selected to administer a $270,000 grant to support state panels that promote access to civil justice for low-income and disadvantaged people. Under the 18-month grant from the Public Welfare Foundation to the ABA Resource Center for Access to Justice Initiatives, more than half of the funds will go to mini-grants to help create new access to justice commissions and expand the scope and activities of existing commissions.

President Obama’s $402 million Legal Services Corporation budget request justly acknowledges our nation’s financial constraints while maintaining a lifeline to those in need of legal help. With 63 million Americans—including 22 million children—qualifying for legal aid, providers in every state report a staggering volume of requests for assistance.

A diverse focus group of criminal justice experts convened by an American Bar Association committee has issued strategies for improving government systems that provide representation in criminal cases to people who cannot afford a lawyer.

During the House of Delegates gathering at the Midyear Meeting in New Orleans, an array of high-level speakers addressed the policy-making body of the ABA. In welcoming House delegates to New Orleans, Mayor Mitch Landrieu stressed that lawyers are the protectors of liberty.

The American Bar Association has adopted new policy on a number of key legal issues. The association’s 560-member House of Delegates met Feb. 6 during its Midyear Meeting.

Six exceptional lawyers dedicated to promoting a more racially and ethnically diverse legal profession were honored Feb. 4 with 2012 Spirit of Excellence Awards.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder used the word “crisis” to characterize the patchwork of state indigent defense systems before announcing two new Department of Justice grant programs that will research indigent defense issues and help jurisdictions improve their public defender and assigned counsel systems.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia candidly answered questions from the audience of American Bar Association members during the program, “A Conversation with Justice Scalia,” Feb. 4 at the ABA Midyear Meeting in New Orleans.

A steep rise in the number of people living in poverty and a big decline in funding for legal aid services has led to a crisis in access to justice for the most vulnerable Americans, said a panel of judges and attorneys today at the American Bar Association Midyear Meeting in New Orleans.