Allowing Our Differences to Unite Us

ABA helps to break down racial, sexual and disability barriers in the legal profession

Jun 2, 2009 4:00 AM CDT

Pressure Points

Bar programs help lawyers cope with the emotional strains of the recession

Jun 2, 2009 1:19 AM CDT

How I Spent My ABA Day in Washington

A legal lobbying marathon requires patience, persistence and a comfortable pair of shoes

Jun 2, 2009 1:10 AM CDT

ABA Announcements

Jun 2, 2009 1:00 AM CDT

Supreme Court Rejects Pension Bias Claim over Old Maternity Leave

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled against female workers claiming bias in maternity leave calculations in an AT&T pension plan. The court ruled that women who took maternity leave before it became illegal to discriminate against pregnant women cannot get leave time counted in their pensions, the Associated Press reports.…

May 18, 2009 3:29 PM CDT

O’Connor on Judicial Elections: ‘They’re Awful. I Hate Them’

Warnings that judicial elections increasingly threaten to undermine the independence of courts were bookends for Friday’s ABA summit on how to preserve fair and impartial state courts. “I’m still resolute that how we select our judges is crucial to a fair and impartial judiciary,” retired Associate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor…

May 9, 2009 1:09 PM CDT

Chadbourne Accused of Overbilling for Research; Other Claims in Pipeline

An unjust enrichment lawsuit claims Chadbourne & Parke billed a client $20,000 for online legal research that cost the law firm only $5,000. San Diego lawyer Patricia Meyer, who represents the Texas businessman suing Chadbourne, tells the National Law Journal that at least a dozen other law firms are also…

May 8, 2009 1:26 PM CDT

Survey: Many Americans Today Would Get ‘F’ in Civics (Take a Pop Civics Quiz)

Ask Americans what they know about the role of courts in state government, and the answer is likely to be: not much. In a survey conducted earlier this year for the National Center for State Courts, only 31 percent of the respondents earned a “high” ranking for their answers to…

May 8, 2009 11:15 AM CDT

New SEC Focus: Painting the Barn, Not the Sistine Chapel

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission may soon be using more discretion in civil investigations, focusing on the big fish rather than the small fry. Speaking today at a program on corporate investigations sponsored by the American Bar Association, an SEC official and the general counsel of the FBI said…

May 7, 2009 8:48 PM CDT

Actor-Turned-Lawyer’s Screenplay Among Silver Gavel Winners

A 30-minute screenplay that imagines the deliberations of three military judges deciding the fate of a Guantanamo Bay detainee is one of the winners of the 2009 Silver Gavel Awards sponsored by the American Bar Association. The screenplay, The Response, was written by actor-turned-lawyer Sig Libowitz, who played a Jewish…

May 5, 2009 6:21 PM CDT

Two Legal Websites Win Webby Awards

The Webby Awards, known as the Oscars of the Internet, honored some high- profile celebrities last night, but some legal websites also took home honors in the competition. Comedian Jimmy Fallon won “person of the year” for posting his act before going on late-night TV with his talk show, Reuters…

May 5, 2009 4:52 PM CDT

Different Ways to Make a Difference

Lawyers can aid access to justice through pro bono, advocacy and financial support

May 2, 2009 4:00 AM CDT

Follow the Middle Road

Revised ABA Model Rule seeks consensus on screening guidelines

May 2, 2009 2:10 AM CDT

Do-Over

After an eight-year pause, the ABA is again vetting possible federal bench nominees

May 2, 2009 12:40 AM CDT

No Way Back

Don’t look now, but a technology revolution is changing the way lawyers work

May 2, 2009 12:30 AM CDT