Law students older than 30 more likely to promote online law school courses, new report finds

According to a report released June 20 by the AccessLex Institute and Gallup, law students with different backgrounds had distinct perceptions of remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jun 21, 2023 3:23 PM CDT

‘My Mom, the Lawyer’ explores women’s work and personal lives through the eyes of their children

While directed at young children, a lawyer’s book also speaks to lawyers who are moms, letting them know that being both can be a busy but fulfilling life.

Jun 21, 2023 8:39 AM CDT

LGBTQ rights should be protected with ‘proactive policymaking,’ ABA entity leaders urge

Nearly a decade ago, one of Bobbi Bittker’s three kids came out as transgender. While she and her family were supportive, she quickly understood other LGBTQ kids were rejected by their families or denied access to vital medical and legal resources. That deeply bothered Bittker, an attorney who has long been passionate about civil rights.

Jun 20, 2023 8:48 AM CDT

Indian adoption law upheld by Supreme Court, but equal protection issue remains undecided

The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld a federal law giving preferences to tribes in Native American adoptions but left consideration of challengers’ equal protection argument for a future case in which plaintiffs have standing to raise it.

Jun 15, 2023 10:23 AM CDT

Longtime civil rights leader Fred Gray will receive ABA Medal

When Fred Gray was 24 years old, he was the lawyer for Rosa Parks, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which began the modern civil rights movement. He later represented marchers involved in the Selma to Montgomery March and helped desegregate the bus system in Montgomery, Alabama, and the school systems in Alabama.

Jun 15, 2023 10:20 AM CDT

How could alternative licensure alter lawyer labor supply? Law prof’s research may have answers

If jurisdictions eliminate the bar exam as an entry to attorney licensure, the labor supply of lawyers would increase by 16%, according to new research by an associate professor at the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis.

Jun 14, 2023 10:51 AM CDT

In ‘stunning development,’ Supreme Court rules Alabama election map violates Voting Rights Act

The U.S. Supreme Court has struck down a congressional voting map that dilutes Black voting strength in Alabama, stating that it would “decline to recast” its caselaw as urged by the state.

Jun 8, 2023 11:39 AM CDT

Nation’s first youth climate lawsuits to go to trial

Held v. State of Montana is part of a growing trend in climate-related litigation: shifting away from lawsuits targeting specific fossil fuel projects and toward a bigger-picture approach focusing on fundamental rights and broad violations of public trust.

Jun 7, 2023 11:11 AM CDT

Role of nonlawyer assistants in client intake addressed in new ABA ethics opinion

Lawyers may train nonlawyer legal assistants to handle client intake matters, but they must ensure that such assistants’ conduct is compatible with the lawyer’s professional obligations, including giving clients an opportunity to consult with the lawyer about questions, according to an ethics opinion from the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility released Wednesday.

Jun 7, 2023 10:07 AM CDT

Plea bargaining reform urged by ABA task force in new report

An increasing number of criminal cases are not going to trial, and the implications have negative consequences for the entire justice system, according to a new report by the ABA Criminal Justice Section’s Plea Bargaining Task Force.

Jun 2, 2023 11:38 AM CDT

‘Significant noncompliance’ in admissions standard for Pontifical Catholic found by ABA Legal Ed council

The Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law is out of compliance with an accreditation standard involving admissions, according to a notice posted Wednesday by the council of the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

Jun 1, 2023 9:43 AM CDT

Bill Bay, the ABA’s president-elect nominee, hopes to attract new lawyers to the association

Jun 1, 2023 12:30 AM CDT

Meet Our Nominees: ABA candidates, in their own words

Leading up to the ABA Annual Meeting in August, we’ve asked incoming leadership candidates the same four questions: What positive experiences have you had with the ABA? What would you like to accomplish during your term? What is something that not a lot of other ABA members know about you? And finally, why would you encourage other lawyers and judges to join the association?

Jun 1, 2023 12:20 AM CDT

The ABA works to help formerly incarcerated people reenter society

For those incarcerated, the ABA supports appropriate treatment consistent with the Eighth Amendment that offers resources and opportunities shown to reduce recidivism and increase public safety.

Jun 1, 2023 12:10 AM CDT

ABA Notices - June-July 2023

Jun 1, 2023 12:07 AM CDT