Access to Justice

Idaho sees lawyer withdrawals after moving county public defender offices to the state

Recent Idaho public defender pay rate changes led to many counsel heading for the exits, and the Idaho State Bar issued a formal ethics opinion over concerns about defendants being left without attorneys.

Feb 1, 2025 1:30 AM CST

Helping Hand: Swapna Reddy is helping asylum-seekers navigate the immigration system

In early 2015, Swapna Reddy volunteered for a week at the South Texas Family Residential Center, an immigration detention center near the U.S.-Mexico border that held thousands of asylum-seeking parents and their children.

Feb 1, 2025 12:20 AM CST

Behind the scenes as the ABA reacts to DOJ’s order to stop providing legal support to immigrants

Jan. 22 started as a regular day for the ABA Immigration Justice Project’s attorneys. But shortly after noon, an order from the U.S. Department of Justice changed everything.

Jan 30, 2025 2:18 PM CST

KPMG’s bid to deliver legal services delayed as top Arizona court seeks more information

The Arizona Supreme Court on Tuesday pushed back a decision on whether to allow a new subsidiary of accounting company KPMG to practice law in the state.

Jan 29, 2025 3:21 PM CST

11 ABA advocacy wins from the 118th Congress

Although the 118th Congress may be remembered as one of the turbulent and least productive in modern history, the ABA Governmental Affairs Office achieved notable legislative successes through close collaboration with ABA leadership, entities and advocacy partners. These efforts were further complemented by substantial progress on various policy issues before federal agencies, commissions and other administrative bodies in the last two years that impact the legal profession, access to justice and the rule of law.

Jan 29, 2025 8:46 AM CST

Both Dakotas consider widely different public service options to bar exam, law school

In efforts to ease the shortage of lawyers in rural areas, North and South Dakota are each considering public service options that impact bar admission, though each offers very different requirements—including whether going to law school is necessary.

Jan 28, 2025 3:54 PM CST

Should defendants without court-appointed lawyers be released? Should charges be dropped? Judge weighs remedies

A Maine judge is considering how to remedy the state’s failure to provide lawyers to indigent defendants on a timely basis.

Jan 27, 2025 3:06 PM CST

Access to Justice 2.0: How AI-powered software can bridge the gap

Many predictions have been made about the impact of artificial intelligence on the legal profession. From the demise of the billable hour to robots replacing lawyers, projections have run the gamut. Among the most optimistic is the suggestion that rapid advancements in AI could significantly improve access to justice by providing underserved communities with easily accessible and much-needed legal information.

Jan 24, 2025 10:20 AM CST

KPMG advances in bid to deliver legal services in Arizona

KPMG US has moved one step closer to forming the Big Four’s first law firm in the United States.

Jan 15, 2025 9:05 AM CST

As parts of Los Angeles burn, lawyers make do

Since Tuesday, Los Angeles has been battling wildfires stoked by heavy winds in the Pacific Palisades, a coastal neighborhood near the Santa Monica Mountains, and Altadena, an area directly north of Pasadena, California.

Jan 9, 2025 2:17 PM CST

KPMG asks Arizona to OK alternative business license for subsidiary law firm

A subsidiary of accounting company KPMG US is applying to operate as an alternative business structure in Arizona under state ethics rules that permit nonlawyers to own or invest in law firms.

Jan 9, 2025 8:51 AM CST

Tune in to our favorite podcasts of 2024

The ABA Journal staff have conversations with fascinating lawyers every day. But in our podcasts, you get to listen in on some of those discussions. Here are our favorite episodes from 2024.

Dec 23, 2024 9:57 AM CST

Pilot project allowing nonlawyer legal providers gets OK in Washington

The Washington Supreme Court has authorized a pilot project that will allow nonlawyer entities to provide legal and law-related services in Washington.

Dec 9, 2024 11:13 AM CST

Supporting Survivors: ABA and its members have shaped the Violence Against Women Act for 30 years

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.

Nov 26, 2024 2:27 PM CST

We should focus on—and invest in—AI that serves people without lawyers

We’ve all seen the headlines about AI-boosted lawyers run amok. Since ChatGPT landed, phantom cases have cropped up in court filings around the country. Judges have responded, meting out sanctions, excoriating counsel, and—more recently—even issuing a flurry of new orders and rules that regulate how litigants can use new AI-based technologies.

Nov 21, 2024 2:17 PM CST