“If we want our profession and our bar to be all we envisioned when we graduated from law school, then it’s time to get that box off the shelf and reopen it,” writes ABA President Bill Bay. “It’s too important a gift to leave unassembled.”
“Sure, we need some renovations,” ABA President Bill Bay says. “But it is about telling our story and making the experience memorable when you get here.”
As lawyers and legal professionals, the importance of our collective voice in shaping the future of our profession and society cannot be overstated. The American Bar Association is once again inviting its members to participate in the Legislative Priorities Survey, a critical tool that helps determine the focus of the ABA’s advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C.
The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic created a wave of anti-Asian harassment in the United States. The number of incidents increased so sharply that in May 2021, President Joe Biden signed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act into law with a special emphasis on protecting Asian Americans.
ABA member Michelle Rozovics—the managing attorney of Rozovics Law Firm in McHenry, Illinois, a small city northwest of Chicago—says curiosity led her to the legal profession. It inspired her to pursue international and business law and to work with clients, law students and judges around the world.
The Violence Against Women Act passed in September 1994. VAWA, as it’s commonly known, was the first federal law to focus on preventing and combating sexual assault and domestic violence. Maricarmen Garza credits VAWA for bringing her to the ABA Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence.
The ABA is looking for volunteers to go to Alaska. The ABA Section of Taxation recently launched its Alaska Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Project, a pro bono initiative that will take six attorneys to prepare tax returns in remote villages in the state.
It’s no secret that lawyers have a high rate of problem drinking. According to data from the ABA, “as many as one in five lawyers is a problem drinker—twice the national rate.” These drinkers are able to keep their jobs because they’re considered to be either gray area drinkers or functional alcoholics. The former display early signs of an alcohol use disorder, while the latter appear to be somewhat in control of their drinking.
Previously, each of its law schools were accredited separately. Penn State Law, based in University Park, is ranked 68th by US News & World Report, while Penn State Dickinson Law, based in Carlisle, Penn., is 75th, and will now serve as the law school’s primary location.
As we reflect on our journeys through the legal profession, one theme emerges: the power of mentorship, particularly female mentorship. The power of female mentorship cannot be overstated.
A work-around to the mandatory use of standardized testing for admissions to law school was approved as the council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar voted allow law schools to accept students who do not take the Law School Admission Test or another standardized exam.
The ABA Legislative Priorities Survey is more than just a questionnaire; it is a powerful instrument that helps the ABA to align its efforts with the concerns and priorities of its membership.
Bar pass rates for the July 2024 bar exam are strong throughout the country. The expectations were high for the class of 2024. In 2021, the year that this class entered law school, applications increased by 13%.
