Mississippi ranks last when it comes to access to justice; Tiffany Graves hopes to change that

Growing up in a working-class household and with a large extended family in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, Tiffany Graves knows what it looks like when a lawyer’s services are out of reach.

Sep 1, 2019 12:00 AM CDT

Nonlawyers could invest in law firms and own legal businesses under Utah work group’s proposal

A Utah task force is proposing a “regulatory sandbox” to allow experimentation with nonlawyer ownership of legal businesses and nonlawyer investment in law firms. New legal services providers would test their services in the regulatory sandbox, overseen by a new regulatory body that gathers data and tests revisions before granting…

Aug 28, 2019 11:13 AM CDT

Signing use-of-force bill, governor vows more changes to ‘biased, random’ justice system

In his first few months as California’s governor, Gavin Newsom made some critics question his commitment to fixing the state’s troubled prison system. Though he had run as a reformer, Newsom stopped the release of dozens of prisoners eligible for parole after he took office in January and attempted to…

Aug 21, 2019 3:23 PM CDT

Forgoing bug bounties and disclosure policies, legal tech leaves lawyers vulnerable

With the state of anti-hacking law in the U.S. and the insecure nature of online software, bug bounties and vulnerability disclosure policies are front-line, standard practices that should be a part of most any organization’s cybersecurity posture.

Aug 19, 2019 6:30 AM CDT

What do you do with your cellphone while you’re in court?

At the recent 2019 ABA Annual Meeting, the House of Delegates approved a resolution that encouraged courts and bar associations to review their policies on cellphone use and admittance in courthouses. The primary reasons that cellphones have been banned from courthouses are because of the possibility that they may disrupt…

Aug 15, 2019 12:42 PM CDT

Cellphone use in courthouses is an ‘access-to-justice issue,’ ABA House says

The ABA House of Delegates on Tuesday approved a resolution encouraging courts and bar associations to review their policies on the use and admittance of cellphones in courthouses.

Aug 13, 2019 2:31 PM CDT

Story with racial justice theme wins ABA Journal’s 2019 Ross essay contest for legal fiction

A lawyer who promotes economic security for survivors of domestic violence has won the 2019 ABA Journal/Ross Writing Contest for Legal Short Fiction. Yvette Butler won the prize for a fictional story with a theme of racial justice. Writing the story was “an outlet to process what’s going on” regarding the “everlasting, amorphous war on terror” as well as issues surrounding police treatment of black people, she says.

Aug 5, 2019 7:00 AM CDT

In patent cases, imposing attorney fees will ‘hamper equal access to justice,’ ABA says

In an amicus brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, the ABA says: “Imposing governmental attorneys’ fees on patent applicants who choose civil actions under [the law] will hamper equal access to justice and chill the assertion of meritorious claims.” The Supreme Court is considering in Peter v.…

Jul 23, 2019 12:52 PM CDT

Nonlawyers could offer legal advice and partly own law firms under these California proposals

The State Bar of California is asking for public comment on proposals that would allow legal technicians to offer legal advice and nonlawyers to hold a financial interest in law firms.

Jul 15, 2019 11:05 AM CDT

ABE grant helps Iowa open legal clinics in VA medical centers

Jul 3, 2019 10:36 AM CDT

Are you an attorney who wants to get involved at the border? The ABA offers ways to do it

Jul 3, 2019 10:14 AM CDT

Federal judge orders intervention in Texas detention centers holding immigrant children

After lawyers’ reports on conditions at a Texas detention center prompted a national outcry in June, a federal judge has ordered an independent monitor to improve health and sanitation at facilities holding unaccompanied immigrant children. In her order Friday, District Judge Dolly M. Gee of the Central District of California…

Jul 1, 2019 4:24 PM CDT

AG Barr announces funding, future plans to address public safety crisis in rural Alaska

A month after U.S. Attorney General William Barr visited Alaska to investigate the high rates of sexual assault and family violence and low police presence in rural communities, he has declared a law enforcement emergency in the state.

Jul 1, 2019 9:35 AM CDT

A natural migration: Descendant of immigrants works to protect civil rights

Many migrant men, women and children are fleeing their homelands to seek safety from violence. My maternal and paternal family members migrated to the United States from Mexico in search of opportunity and with hopes of realizing a dream.

Jul 1, 2019 2:20 AM CDT

Do DIY divorce apps deliver? Services promise an easier process

Companies including Divorceify, Hello Divorce and Wevorce purport to simplify the divorce process by using tech to automate document production; providing resources for custodial issues, financial planning and housing; and offering counseling and hand-holding.

Jul 1, 2019 1:40 AM CDT