ABA

ABA Executive Director Jack Rives to step down

Jack Rives, the executive director of the ABA, is leaving the position at the end of February 2023, the association announced Thursday. Rives has been in his position since 2010.

Nov 10, 2022 1:54 PM CST

ABA helps find permanent homes for Afghan evacuees stuck in Abu Dhabi, other parts of the world

“Since my childhood, I wanted to serve the society and people honestly, and I found lawyering to be a field that could connect me to my dreams,” Afghan refugee Qari Abeera Ziayi says. “So I chose the field of law, and for a long time, I served people a lot through law.” Ziayi left her country in October 2021, and through a foreign organization that assisted female lawyers facing danger in Afghanistan, she was brought to Emirates Humanitarian City.

Nov 10, 2022 9:46 AM CST

Stanford Law School launches rule of law center with ‘significant gift’ from former ABA president

Stanford Law School has announced the launch of a new rule of law center, thanks to a “significant gift” from former ABA President William “Bill” Neukom and his wife, Sally Neukom.

Nov 4, 2022 8:43 AM CDT

‘Reply all’ in electronic communications can imply consent, new ABA ethics opinion says

Lawyers who copy their clients on emails and other forms of electronic communications when messaging a lawyer representing someone in the same matter have given implied consent to receiving a “reply all” response back from the recipient counsel, absent special circumstances, according to a new ethics opinion from the ABA.

Nov 2, 2022 10:02 AM CDT

Expect litigation over absentee ballots, and expect delays in the vote count, Common Cause warns

Absentee voting is facing a double wallop as the Nov. 8 midterm elections approach. Voting in advance of Election Day has been restricted by new state laws that make it more difficult to obtain and cast absentee ballots. And the validity and counting of some of those ballots are likely to be challenged in litigation.

Nov 1, 2022 2:24 PM CDT

Want to strengthen voting rights? The ABA is seeking volunteers for Perfecting Democracy initiative

Two ABA groups have launched initiatives with the aim of strengthening election protection and the public’s trust in the electoral process.

Nov 1, 2022 8:39 AM CDT

Supreme Court majority seems ready to restrict consideration of race in college admissions

The U.S. Supreme Court appeared ready to restrict the use of race as a factor in college admissions during oral arguments Monday.

Oct 31, 2022 2:55 PM CDT

Biden administration announces PSLF plans, and ABA suggests extension of student-loan payment pause

Credit for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program will be extended to all with qualifying jobs and government school loans, regardless of whether they made late payments, paid in installments or in lump sums, the U.S. Department of Education announced Tuesday.

Oct 26, 2022 11:36 AM CDT

Pass rate for New York’s July bar exam ticks up, as repeat and foreign-educated test-takers do better

Corrected: The pass rate for the July 2022 New York bar exam was 66%, which is an increase of three percentage points from the July 2021 bar exam.

Oct 20, 2022 3:08 PM CDT

During ABA Giving Day, members can support efforts advocating for democracy, equity and justice

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the ABA’s members, volunteers and donors have answered the call to help increase legal services and transform the justice system. The FJE hopes to build on that momentum with the 2022 ABA Giving Day.

Oct 18, 2022 11:10 AM CDT

As Golden Gate Law works to meet bar pass standard, new students get full scholarships

Almost a year after being found out of compliance with an ABA accreditation standard that requires a bar pass rate of at least 75% within two years, the Golden Gate University School of Law significantly reduced its first-year class size and awarded full-tuition scholarships to all newly admitted full-time JD students.

Oct 5, 2022 10:27 AM CDT

ABA announces 2023 Spirit of Excellence Award recipients

Immediate past ABA President Reginald Turner will receive the 2023 Spirit of Excellence Award in February at the 2023 ABA Midyear Meeting, the ABA announced Tuesday.

Oct 5, 2022 8:53 AM CDT

Examining the Bar

The profession often has a hard time with change, and some have said there’s a sense that keeping a bar exam will likely assure people in power that wealthy clients won’t be harmed by admissions alternatives. Nevertheless, lawyers interviewed by the ABA Journal say it’s important that states are even considering changes at all.

Oct 1, 2022 3:30 AM CDT

Agree to Disagree: Civics, civility and collaboration can guide us to a better society

“‘Agree to disagree’ is what lawyers do around negotiation tables every day. We do it in mediation, in arbitration and in courtrooms after a judge has heard both sides and issued a ruling. ‘Agree to disagree’ is what we should do in the big tent that encompasses the diversity of membership in the American Bar Association,” writes ABA President Deborah Enix-Ross.

Oct 1, 2022 2:50 AM CDT

Passing the Gavel: ABA leaders spoke of hope, civility and tenacity

“We, of all professions, appreciate that though our differences may be stark, we know how to work together and resolve them. We know how to agree to disagree,” said ABA President Deborah Enix-Ross, senior adviser to the International Dispute Resolution Group at Debevoise & Plimpton. “Lawyers can model the behavior we wish to see, and the ABA has the resources and ability to embrace this role.”

Oct 1, 2022 12:30 AM CDT