During the final day of debate of the American Bar Association House of Delegates, policy was adopted in support of marriage equality, micro stamping of newly manufactured semi-automatic pistols, and in support of the United States ratifying the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

During the afternoon session of Monday’s House of Delegates debate, the policy-making body adopted a series of resolutions dealing with evidence, training and standards, and professional conduct relative to the criminal justice system. In addition, the association adopted policy addressing the issue of federal preemption and civil Gideon, or a right to counsel in civil matters involving basic human needs.

On Monday afternoon of the meeting of the House of Delegates during the American Bar Association Annual Meeting, the House of Delegates saw the passing of the gavel from President Carolyn B. Lamm to incoming President Stephen N. Zack. During her introduction of Zack, Lamm noted, “I know you’ll be in fabulous hands.” She outlined Zack’s rise in the leadership of both The Florida Bar and the ABA.

During Monday’s meeting of the policy-making House of Delegates, the association honored Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with its highest recognition, the ABA Medal. The medal is given to an individual judged by the association’s Board of Governors to have rendered exceptionally distinguished service to the cause of American jurisprudence.

On the first morning of the meeting of the 560-member policy-making House of Delegates, the American Bar Association began debate on recommendations brought to it from association entities and local or state bars. In addition, the delegates heard from ABA President Carolyn B. Lamm and witnessed U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg receiving the ABA Medal.

David Boies challenged America’s lawyers to “bring the rule of law to its full fruition here in this country … to fulfill the goals and lofty rhetoric of our founding fathers,” as the keynote speaker at the Opening Assembly of the 2010 ABA Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

Since the gavel was passed to her nearly one year ago, ABA President Carolyn Lamm has been at the forefront of some the most critical issues facing the nation and the legal profession.

A powerful but little known position in the office of the Solicitor General of the United States, the “political deputy,” came to light in a roundtable discussion Friday at the 2010 Annual Meeting.

As the American Bar Association Annual Meeting opened yesterday, one of the first conference programs was titled “Same-Sex Marriage — Moving Beyond State Courts.” The discussion occurred shortly after Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker ruled that the Proposition 8 initiative was unconstitutional.

The ruling of the Northern District of California certainly points out what a very significant legal issue or series of issues marriage equality raises.  We know that marriage equality impacts issues in families’ lives — taxation, succession, custody of children, breakup and others.  As the nation’s largest organization of lawyers, we in fact need to

Addressing a legal services landscape transformed by the struggling economy, globalization of business and rapid advances in technology is top of mind for America’s legal community as the nation’s largest lawyers’ organization today opened the American Bar Association Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

David Boies, who was lead counsel for former Vice President Al Gore in contesting the 2000 presidential election, will be the keynote speaker at the Opening Assembly of the 2010 ABA Annual Meeting in San Francisco. Boies will speak on rule of law issues at the formal meeting launch in the Herbst Theatre of the War Memorial Veterans Building at 401 Van Ness Ave.