Annual Meeting

Model Ethics Rule Allows Lawyers to Practice in New State for Up to a Year, Pending Admission

Lawyers who move to a new state can practice there for up to a year while seeking admission under a new model ethics rule approved Monday by the ABA House of Delegates. A comment to the rule explains why it is needed. “This rule recognizes that a lawyer admitted in…

Aug 6, 2012 8:21 PM CDT

Changes to Model Ethics Rules Clarify Lawyers’ Obligations When Using Outsourcing

The ABA House of Delegates addressed lawyers’ ethical duties when using outsourcing in changes to the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct approved Monday. In Resolution 105C, the ABA Commission on Ethics 20/20 explains the changes and acknowledges the debate over outsourcing, which is being used with increasing frequency partly…

Aug 6, 2012 8:05 PM CDT

Online Marketing, Including Lead Generation, Is Addressed in Changes to ABA Ethics Rules

Online marketing tools for lawyers are addressed in revisions to the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct approved Monday by the ABA House of Delegates. When do online discussions give rise to duties to prospective clients? May a lawyer generate leads through Groupon? What type of online communications are impermissible…

Aug 6, 2012 8:01 PM CDT

Lawyers Have Duty to Stay Current on Technology’s Risks and Benefits, New Model Ethics Comment Says

Updated: Lawyers can’t be Luddites, according to changes to the model ethics rules approved Monday by the ABA House of Delegates. Some of the changes approved by the House update the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct to acknowledge that information is stored digitally as well as in paper files,…

Aug 6, 2012 7:46 PM CDT

GP Solo Division Is Sending a Message with Name Change

The General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Division is reshuffling its name. The ABA House of Delegates approved Resolution 11-3, which changes the ABA Constitution to reflect the new name: the Solo, Small Firm and General Practice Division. A report to the ABA House of Delegates says changing the order…

Aug 6, 2012 7:03 PM CDT

Outgoing ABA President Emphasizes Commitment to Young Lawyers

Corrected: Outgoing ABA President Wm. T. (Bill) Robinson III emphasized the association’s commitment to law students and young lawyers in a speech to the ABA House of Delegates Monday morning. Robinson said a newly created ABA Task Force on the Future of Legal Education will make recommendations in the next…

Aug 6, 2012 5:41 PM CDT

No Fudging: Revised Standard Bars Law Schools from Publishing Misleading Consumer Info

Law schools must disclose more consumer information on their websites under changes to accreditation standards concurred in by the ABA House of Delegates Monday. The changes to so-called “Standard 509” require all consumer information released by law schools to be complete, accurate and not misleading. Penalties can be imposed for…

Aug 6, 2012 4:46 PM CDT

ABA House OKs Standards Saying Civilly Detained Immigrants Should Not Be Held in Jail-Like Settings

Most illegal aliens detained by the Department of Homeland Security should not be held in jails or jail-like settings, according to new civil immigration detention standards adopted Monday by the ABA House of Delegates. The standards are designed to help DHS as it transitions to a system that does not…

Aug 6, 2012 4:43 PM CDT

Pit Bull Bias? ABA House OKs Resolution Urging Breed-Neutral Dog Laws

Some pit bulls just don’t get any respect. Resolution 100 before the ABA House of Delegates includes a report outlining the problem. Some local governments ban certain breeds, or add restrictions on their ownership, such as sterilization, microchipping and muzzling. Until February, when it repealed the law, Ohio also defined…

Aug 6, 2012 4:33 PM CDT

ABA House Postpones Resolution Reaffirming Opposition to Nonlawyer Ownership of Law Firms

A resolution asking the ABA House of Delegates to reaffirm its stance against nonlawyer ownership of law firms was so controversial that 92 people filed so-called “salmon slips” asking to speak for or against it. Just four people rose to give their views on Monday before the House voted to…

Aug 6, 2012 4:26 PM CDT

Margaret Brent Honorees Warn That Economic and Political Changes Could Undo Achievements

Left to Right: Amy W. Schulman, Marcia Devins Greenberger, Mary B. Cranston, Arlinda Locklear, Joan M. Hall, Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye. Photo by Kathy Anderson At Sunday’s 22nd annual Margaret Brent Lawyers of Achievement Awards Luncheon, honoring women whose pathbreaking legal careers set them apart, there was sometimes an edge to…

Aug 5, 2012 11:22 PM CDT

Why Do Federal Judges Retire? More Income Is Top Answer

A new study on why federal judges retire, resign or take senior status has its authors worried about an increasing judicial exodus in the coming decades. Federal appeals judge Patrick Higginbotham opted for senior status over immediate retirement. But he acknowledged the financial allure of leaving the job during a…

Aug 5, 2012 11:02 PM CDT

Lawyers Debate Whether New Voter Registration Laws Fight Voter Fraud or Suppress Voter Activity

Forty-three states either have voter identification laws on the books or are considering legislation to enact them. Supporters of those laws say they are trying to fight voter fraud. Opponents say the purpose is to suppress voter turnout. Both sides had their say Sunday in a 90-minute panel discussion on…

Aug 5, 2012 9:45 PM CDT

ABA Plans to Continue Its Long History with Magna Carta by Holding Commemorative Events in 2015

The ABA has begun planning to mark the 800th anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta with a series of events in the United States and the United Kingdom in 2015. Planning for the events is being coordinated by the Magna Carta 2015 Committee, chaired by Immediate Past President Stephen…

Aug 5, 2012 6:51 PM CDT

ABA House to Consider Ethics Rule Changes to Help Young and Mobile Lawyers

The policymaking ABA House of Delegates will be asked to consider the needs of younger lawyers in a tough job market when it considers changes to the association’s model ethics rules for lawyers on Monday. The ABA Commission on Ethics 20/20 was appointed in 2009 to study the impact of…

Aug 5, 2012 6:37 PM CDT