On this United Nation’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women — which coincides this year with America’s Thanksgiving Day — we should be thankful for the advances that the United States and the world have made in recognizing that there is no place for violence of any type against women. But our work is far from complete.

The American Bar Association applauds the Federal Trade Commission’s recent decision to broaden the attorney exemption in its new rule on Mortgage Assistance Relief Services. By exempting most practicing lawyers who help consumer clients to renegotiate their mortgages or avoid foreclosure, the final FTC rule released last Friday will allow lawyers to continue to provide the critical legal services and expertise homeowners in crisis need.

The mission of every lawyer is to provide aid and counsel to our clients and improve access to the justice system—not to push paperwork that attempts to solve what is, for the legal profession, a non-existent problem and promises to raise legal costs.

“The civil rights enforcement system has been simply unable to adequately enforce anti-discrimination laws on behalf of Latinos,” said Janet Murguia, president of the National Council of La Raza, speaking last week in Chicago at a public hearing of the American Bar Association Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights and Responsibilities.

National security experts say serious threats from cyber and Internet terrorism that crosses geographic boundaries are rendering traditional methods of law enforcement and tracking elusive.
“Instead of a linear threat, we have diversified threats coming from all over,” said David S. Kris, the assistant attorney general for National Security at the U.S. Department of Justice.  “Organizations and

The Nov. 2 election was historic both in terms of the change it brought about in the U.S. Congress and state legislatures, and also in the amount of money — much of it secret — that was spent in the races. A Supreme Court ruling, in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission, led to the creation this summer of “super PACs” that can raise unlimited money to expressly advocate for or against candidates.

The American Bar Association Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights & Responsibilities will hold the first of four hearings to gauge the intensity of Latino civic participation and evaluate access to justice issues Nov. 12 at Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

The American Bar Association appreciates the Obama Administration focusing on Domestic Violence Awareness Month through its event at the White House today. Domestic violence is an epidemic that knows no economic, social or demographic bounds – as we know too well through the tragic stories we see in the local section of our newspapers and on national television.

Cyber security expert Richard A. Clarke gave a bleak report to the crowd that gathered to listen to him at a recent ABA Standing Committee on Law and National Security event on cyber terrorism and the ability of the United States to protect itself from a widespread cyber attack.

Next week, hundreds of law firms, bar associations and other legal groups across the country will recognize work done on behalf of the poor and underserved with the second annual pro bono celebration. The American Bar Association Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service is sponsoring this pro bono recognition from October 24th through the 30th.

The upcoming November election and the ranking of Hispanics as the fastest growing minority segment of the population are the impetus for formation of the American Bar Association Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights and Responsibilities.

The American Bar Association’s newly formed Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights and Responsibilities will investigate legal issues affecting the Latino community, including voting rights, civil rights and immigration, among several areas of interest. The end goal is to determine how the ABA can continue to pursue and improve upon its commitment to righting the wrongs of discrimination.