To increase access to justice, jurisdictions should consider rewriting regulations, ABA House says

Apr 1, 2020 12:40 AM CDT

Legal reform supporters will keep advocating for California sandbox proposal

Advocates for legal regulatory reform say they are dismayed by the State Bar of California’s recent decision to postpone action on a proposed regulatory sandbox, but they have not given up the fight to convince the bar’s board of trustees to support further exploring the concept.

Mar 31, 2020 10:55 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: ABA backs COVID-19 money for LSC; Larry Klayman files $20T suit against China

ABA president says LSC needs extra money for COVID-19 issues ABA President Judy Perry Martinez is asking Congress to provide a supplemental appropriation for the Legal Services Corp. The cash will help address the increasing legal needs of low-income Americans caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic. Extra money is needed…

Mar 20, 2020 3:30 PM CDT

ABA commission points out legal ed and licensure issues that built access-to-justice barriers

The costs of legal education and licensure should not act as a barrier for the quality and availability of legal services, and legal education should not be one size fits all, according to commentary released Wednesday by the ABA's Commission on the Future of Legal Education.

Mar 18, 2020 3:32 PM CDT

President of the Legal Services Corp. reflects on his tenure

Asked to reflect on his nine-year tenure as president of the Legal Services Corp., Jim Sandman says he is proud of many things that he and his team accomplished. In this new Legal Rebels Podcast episode, he speaks with the ABA Journal’s Victor Li.

Mar 18, 2020 9:32 AM CDT

New report outlines how legal services can prepare for and respond to disasters

A new report from the Legal Services Corp.'s Disaster Task Force counts 537 presidential disaster-related declarations, including 288 major disaster declarations, from January 2014 to July 2019.

Mar 5, 2020 10:17 AM CST

Video teleconference program for immigrant children ‘is contrary to the American pursuit of justice,’ ABA says

ABA President Judy Perry Martinez joined leaders from Kids in Need of Defense on Wednesday in condemning a new pilot program at the Houston Immigration Court that requires all cases involving unaccompanied immigrant children to be heard via video teleconference.

Mar 5, 2020 9:41 AM CST

Lawyer, author and founder of program for wrongfully convicted dies at 52

Laura Caldwell, a lawyer, author and founder of a project that supported the wrongfully convicted, died Sunday after a long battle with breast cancer.

Mar 4, 2020 11:03 AM CST

ABA president applauds bill putting public defenders ‘on an equitable playing field with prosecutors’

ABA President Judy Perry Martinez commended on Thursday two federal lawmakers who introduced legislation that would boost support for public defenders with a $250 million grant program.

Feb 28, 2020 12:19 PM CST

New ABA Center for Innovation chair believes center can be catalyst for needed legal industry reform

The new chair of the ABA Center for Innovation’s governing council says the center can play a key role in providing information and support to the various states examining changes to how they regulate the practice of law and utilize legal technology.

Feb 20, 2020 4:00 PM CST

Vision for 2020: A focus on defending the rule of law

The legal industry is principally focused on technology, new models, competition, reregulation and the sustainability of the traditional partnership model—issues that impact stakeholder livelihoods and career trajectories. Defending the rule of law is a less concrete but seminal challenge the industry must focus on in 2020 and beyond.

Feb 20, 2020 9:57 AM CST

To increase access to justice, regulatory innovation should be considered, ABA House says

The ABA House of Delegates passed a controversial resolution Monday to address the crisis of access to civil justice, encouraging states to adopt regulatory innovations to expand legal services to more Americans.

Feb 17, 2020 5:40 PM CST

‘The personal attacks on our judges and prosecutors must cease,’ says ABA president

ABA President Judy Perry Martinez reminded the House of Delegates at the 2020 ABA Midyear Meeting in Austin, Texas, on Monday that Americans of all different backgrounds are paying more attention to issues of justice.

Feb 17, 2020 1:28 PM CST

The 2020 ABA Midyear Meeting kicks off in Texas

The 2020 ABA Midyear Meeting opens in the Lone Star State this week, providing ABA members the opportunity to attend hundreds of legal programs and events; hear from recognized law experts; and meet with colleagues in their sections, divisions, committees and councils.

Feb 12, 2020 1:04 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: 2-time SCOTUS litigant gets settlement; at-large judge elections upheld in voting rights case

Florida man wins $875K settlement after two trips to the Supreme Court A Florida man who won twice in the U.S. Supreme Court will get an $875,000 settlement for his troubles from the city of Riviera Beach. Litigant Fane Lozman said the money covers his legal fees but “it doesn’t…

Feb 6, 2020 4:11 PM CST