ABA

Universal Migrator snags first prize at ABA Techshow 2023’s Startup Alley competition

Universal Migrator won first prize at the seventh annual Startup Alley pitch competition at the ABA Techshow 2023 on Wednesday evening after facing off against 14 other finalists.

Mar 2, 2023 8:39 AM CST

Choice-of-law questions for state ethics rules examined in new ABA opinion

Lawyers admitted to multiple jurisdictions may be subject to different ethical requirements in the different states in which they are licensed to practice law, according to a new ABA ethics opinion.

Mar 1, 2023 12:31 PM CST

Federal judge faces probe after he orders handcuffing of 13-year-old girl in gallery in ‘scared straight’ approach

A federal judge faces an ethics probe initiated by the judiciary after a transcript indicated that he ordered the handcuffing of a 13-year-old girl during a probation revocation hearing for her father. The allegations are against Judge Roger Benitez.

Mar 1, 2023 11:15 AM CST

Which law schools are choosiest? Washington University is in top five, while Yale is mostly No. 1

Yale Law School is No. 1 based data showing that it is the choosiest law school in terms of acceptance rate and median LSAT scores for fall 2022. But it falls to No. 2 in a tie with two other schools based on the median undergraduate grade-point average.

Feb 27, 2023 12:09 PM CST

ABA task force issues 14 guiding principles to improve plea bargaining system

An ABA task force that spent three years examining problems in plea bargaining has released recommendations that judges, lawyers, lawmakers and other stakeholders can follow to create a fairer, more transparent process.

Feb 22, 2023 9:48 AM CST

Meet Holly Cook, director of the ABA Governmental Affairs Office

When Holly Cook joined the ABA in January 2012, she brought with her more than two decades of experience in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. “I thought I was going to Afghanistan and deploying yet again. But I got a phone call one day saying they were looking for someone to come to the Governmental Affairs Office,” Cook says. “I loved working with the Hill. So I thought, ‘All right.’”

Feb 21, 2023 9:01 AM CST

ABA Techshow 2023 will celebrate ‘being together’ after 3 tough years

It was just weeks before lockdown in early March 2020 when the ABA held its last all in-person ABA Techshow. Three years later, legal tech enthusiasts and lawyers can expect the 2023 edition to meet pent-up demand for face-to-face panels and meetings.

Feb 21, 2023 8:59 AM CST

Legal Ed will resubmit proposed elimination of admissions-test standard and consider increasing distance ed credits

The council of the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar on Friday voted in favor of resubmitting to the House of Delegates a proposal to eliminate a requirement that accredited law schools use an admissions test like the LSAT or GRE. Additionally, the council approved a suggestion to allow up to 50% of a law school’s credits offered online, without special permission.

Feb 17, 2023 4:45 PM CST

What to expect from ABA Techshow 2023

One of the biggest and longest-running legal technology shows in the country, the ABA Techshow, is right around the corner. From March 1 to 4, thousands of lawyers, legal professionals and vendors will descend upon Chicago to talk about technology.

Feb 15, 2023 8:39 AM CST

Citing lack of lawyers, public defenders in this state ask to let law grads work before bar admission

A Florida proposal to allow court appearances for law school graduates, up to one year before bar admission, has been made by the state’s public defenders organization.

Feb 13, 2023 9:40 AM CST

ABA Legal Ed Section seeks council nominations

The council of the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar will have six at-large seats available, including one for a public member.

Feb 9, 2023 10:26 AM CST

ABA resolves to ‘take a leadership role in opposing antisemitism’

Citing events like the 2017 riots in Charlottesville, Virginia; the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol; and recent synagogue shootings in Pennsylvania and California, proponents of Resolution 514 asked the ABA to formally condemn antisemitism.

Feb 7, 2023 8:38 AM CST

Supreme Court justices should follow binding code of ethics, ABA House says

The U.S. Supreme Court should adopt a binding code of ethics for its justices that is akin to the code of conduct the Judicial Conference of the United States adopted for other federal judges, the House of Delegates said after a spirited debate at the 2023 ABA Midyear Meeting in New Orleans on Monday.

Feb 6, 2023 7:38 PM CST

Confederate symbols should be removed from courthouses, ABA House says

Confederate memorabilia “and other symbols of racial and ethnic bias” should be removed from facilities where court proceedings are held, according to a resolution passed Monday by the ABA House of Delegates.

Feb 6, 2023 5:40 PM CST

ABA supports right to travel for abortion services and other medical care

All government entities should enact laws and regulations that protect the right of any individual to travel across state lines to access medical care, the House of Delegates said at the 2023 ABA Midyear Meeting in New Orleans on Monday.

Feb 6, 2023 5:31 PM CST