Annual Meeting

Souter Urges ABA to Help Lead Efforts to Improve Civics Education #ABAChicago

Like the manner of the man who delivered it, the message was simple, direct and steeped in the heritage of traditional New England democracy. The man was David H. Souter, who recently retired from the U.S. Supreme Court. His message on Saturday to the opening assembly of the ABA Annual…

Aug 2, 2009 1:47 AM CDT

Patrick Fitzgerald: Reporters Must Obey When Ordered to Reveal Sources #ABAChicago

Journalists should not put themselves above the law in their efforts to protect sources and confidential information, said Patrick Fitzgerald, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today at a program during the ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago. Prosecutors and reporters share an interest in gathering information that…

Aug 1, 2009 10:32 PM CDT

For Lawyers in Zimbabwe, a Day at the Office Can Carry Risks to Life and Limb #ABAChicago

Lawyers in the African nation of Zimbabwe don’t worry much about such things as recessions, competing for business or the future of the billable hour. Their focus is more likely on staying out of jail while keeping their clients alive. Zimbabwe has experienced “a complete breakdown of the rule of…

Aug 1, 2009 9:27 PM CDT

BigLaw Associate ‘Googles’ Everyone Before Presenting Job Candidates to Firm #ABAChicago

Lawyers, even the infamous ones, are quasi public figures, and they should make online posts accordingly, said a panel of lawyers Saturday. Indeed, Michele On-Ja Choe, a Sidley Austin associate who was part of the panel, says that when she interviews law students during on-campus interviewing, she Googles everyone before…

Aug 1, 2009 8:43 PM CDT

‘7 Secrets’ to Help Lawyers Thrive in a Recession #ABAChicago

The year is barely half over and it’s already shaping up to be one of the worst years ever for the legal profession. Through the end of July, nearly 4,300 big-firm lawyers have been laid off. And that number doesn’t include lawyers at small or midsize firms or so-called “stealth”…

Aug 1, 2009 8:25 PM CDT

Starr Giddy Over Sotomayor; Panel Recalls Alito Reciting ‘Imagine’ #ABAChicago

When former special prosecutor Kenneth Starr depicted Sonia Sotamayor injecting the U.S. Supreme Court with flair and excitement, he sounded a wee bit like a teenager with a crush. “We’ve all fallen in love with her remarkable life story,” Starr told ABA members listening to a panel on the Roberts…

Jul 31, 2009 11:39 PM CDT

Facebooking Judge Catches Lawyer in Lie, Sees Ethical Breaches #ABAChicago

Galveston, Texas-area lawyers on Facebook may want to double-check their friends list, especially if they’re about to appear before Judge Susan Criss. That’s because Criss, a state court judge who is learning to adapt to social media as a way to connect with long-lost friends and is leveraging Facebook as…

Jul 31, 2009 8:16 PM CDT

Ex-AGs Weigh in on Possible Interrogation Tactics Probe, US Atty Firings #ABAChicago

When you put six former U.S. attorneys general together on a panel at a convention of lawyers, it’s pretty safe to assume the meeting room won’t be big enough. That was the case Friday morning at the ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago, when a Litigation Section program titled “Lessons from…

Jul 31, 2009 7:42 PM CDT

Finding Accurate Law Text Online Nearly Impossible, Panelists Say #ABAChicago

It sounded easy. Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s counsel, Denley Chew, slapped down some $2 bills and challenged a room of lawyers and legal researchers with laptops and iPhones to find the authoritative text of the landmark Fugitive Slave Act online. “Authoritative” was the catch. The money remained untouched.…

Jul 31, 2009 6:38 PM CDT

Is FTC Hedging on Plans to Apply ID Theft Rule to Law Firms? #ABAChicago

The Federal Trade Commission’s announcement that it would suspend implementation of a controversial regulation that would require many businesses to take steps to prevent identity theft gives the ABA more time to press its argument that the regulation should not be applied to lawyers, the association’s president said on Thursday.…

Jul 30, 2009 9:47 PM CDT

Women Partners Say They’re Still Forced into Support Roles at Firms #ABAChicago

While some law firms are leading the charge to promote women and minority partners to management positions, others remain dominated by the “white man’s voice,” and gender bias that keep these lawyers out of compensation discussions and away from origination credit, Pfizer Inc. general counsel Amy Schulman said today at…

Jul 30, 2009 8:27 PM CDT

Abner Mikva Chastises Prosecutors for Publicity in High-Profile Cases #ABAChicago

Retired federal judge Abner J. Mikva, who heads up a panel investigating clout in the admissions process at the University of Illinois, decried the growing practice by prosecutors of holding press conferences to announce indictments and other developments in high-profile corruption cases. Patrick Fitzgerald, the U.S. attorney for the Northern…

Jul 30, 2009 7:19 PM CDT

Two Twittering Lawyers: The ABA President and an IT Buff #ABAChicago

Should lawyers use Twitter? ABA President H. Thomas Wells apparently thinks so. He’s Twittering from the ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago. Wells’ followers can learn that he takes the budget-friendly Southwest Airlines and that he spent the day Monday working on speeches and finalizing his calendar. His initial posts tend…

Jul 30, 2009 4:12 PM CDT

ABA Task Force Hears Alternatives to Law School Accreditation Role #ABAChicago

The ABA should either get out of the federal law school accreditation process altogether or seek a waiver from a Department of Education rule requiring the association to steer clear of the work of its accrediting body, an ABA task force on accreditation was told Wednesday. Gary Palm, professor emeritus…

Jul 29, 2009 10:40 PM CDT

No Shortage of Politicians and Legal Legends at ABA Annual Meeting #ABAChicago

Politicians and judges will be in abundant supply at the ABA Annual Meeting that kicks off in Chicago on Thursday. The headliner is newly retired Justice David H. Souter, who will keynote the ABA’s opening assembly on Saturday evening. Souter will talk about the need for civics education, a topic…

Jul 29, 2009 7:19 PM CDT