Bar Associations

Utah considers allowing law grads to choose apprenticeship rather than bar exam

The Utah Supreme Court is seeking comment on a proposal to allow law grads to become lawyers without taking the bar exam.

Nov 7, 2024 1:21 PM CST

Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy

This is a day to appreciate the fact Americans voted in large numbers. As citizens and lawyers, we are thankful for all who exercised their right to vote. We are particularly thankful for the election workers for their efforts to ensure the election was fair and the results are safe, secure and accurate.

Nov 7, 2024 12:07 PM CST

Courtroom ‘is not a theater’ for unsubstantiated election claims, says letter signed by 125 bar leaders

All lawsuits—including election-related actions—must be “grounded in fact, supported by law and free from improper motives,” according to an open letter signed by 125 past and current bar leaders when it was published Monday evening.

Nov 5, 2024 12:42 PM CST

Lawyer’s mistaken Zelle transfer leads to ethics complaint

An Ohio lawyer mistakenly sent $550 via money transfer app Zelle to an Illinois resident, peppered him with emails and texts while a bank fraud department investigated, and then sued him after the money was returned, according to an ethics complaint by the Dayton Bar Association.

Nov 5, 2024 9:30 AM CST

ABA President Bay urges ICE to notify counsel when transferring detainees

In a letter to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ABA President William R. Bay called attention to a “concerning trend” involving transfers of detained people from the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego without the required notice to their attorneys.

Oct 28, 2024 9:56 AM CDT

California Supreme Court approves state’s Kaplan-created bar exam

Updated: The State Bar of California’s plan to create a new exam enabling the licensing test to be taken remotely, as well as at in-person test centers, has been green-lighted by the California Supreme Court, allowing the first administration of the Kaplan North America-developed test to move forward in February 2025.

Oct 24, 2024 9:34 AM CDT

This lawyer focused on publishing her technology law research

When her parents divorced, Star Kashman understood the impact that a good lawyer could have on a family. She initially wanted to be a psychologist, but Kashman, who eventually co-founded a law firm, realized that she could help clients even more if she went into law. It was at the Brooklyn Law School in New York that Kashman paved a path that would eventually propel her career.

Oct 21, 2024 10:36 AM CDT

Florida lawyer says she used trust account funds to avoid becoming homeless

An Orlando, Florida, lawyer accused of client trust account violations has said she used some settlement funds during the COVID-19 pandemic to avoid becoming homeless when she lost her primary job as a schoolteacher.

Oct 17, 2024 1:58 PM CDT

New rules issued for Utah’s regulatory sandbox program

A controversial decision allowing nonlegal entities to own or invest in Utah law firms will be subject to additional regulations, the Utah Supreme Court decided last month.

Oct 15, 2024 11:32 AM CDT

New ‘Law of the Police’ class open to law students, lawyers and the public

Starting next week, lawyers and law students can learn more about policing and the law, from anywhere and for free.

Oct 10, 2024 3:02 PM CDT

Members can advance democracy, equity and justice during ABA Giving Day

Now in its fifth year, ABA Giving Day offers members the opportunity to support nearly 50 different programs that provide pro bono representation to those in need, fight for systemic change in the justice system and drive innovation in legal services.

Oct 10, 2024 9:56 AM CDT

ABA changes description of Judicial Clerkship Program after conservative group sees ‘quotas’

The ABA updated the description of its Judicial Clerkship Program after a conservative group alleged that the language indicated that the association used racial “quotas” in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Annaliese Fleming, the ABA senior associate executive director and general counsel, said in…

Oct 9, 2024 2:00 PM CDT

Law professor Jonathan Turley discusses free speech at ABA Crossroads Caucus event

In a scoop any journalist would envy, the ABA Crossroads Caucus welcomed professor Jonathan Turley to the first-ever public event to discuss his new book, The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage, just ahead of its planned release by Simon & Schuster. The program, held Aug. 3 at the ABA Annual Meeting, drew a broad audience, including then-ABA President Mary Smith, past ABA President Deborah Enix-Ross, numerous members of the ABA Board of Governors and at least one retired judge.

Oct 9, 2024 10:23 AM CDT

Hurricane Help: Lawyers mobilize to support communities hit by storms

Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm on Sept. 26, and it cut a path of destruction across the southeastern United States. Just two weeks later, Hurricane Milton is prompting mass evacuations in Florida and could strike the state as a Category 4 or even 5 storm on Wednesday night. Members of the ABA have begun mobilizing to assist survivors.

Oct 9, 2024 9:00 AM CDT

Connecticut allows fully online law school grads of Purdue Global to take bar exam

Graduates of the Purdue Global Law School, described as the oldest wholly online law school, can now take the bar exam in a third state, as the Connecticut Bar Examining Committee voted Oct. 4 to follow the lead of California and Indiana.

Oct 8, 2024 3:24 PM CDT