Bar Associations

Data breach suit against ABA tossed by federal judge

A federal judge in New York has dismissed a proposed class action lawsuit filed against the ABA by two members who feared that their data was exposed in a March 2023 data breach.

May 1, 2024 11:52 AM CDT

ABA should consider impact of rape-disclosure questions on bar applications, 3 senators tell association

The ABA should study the prevalence of bar admissions questions that require the disclosure of campus sexual misconduct complaints and requests for orders of protection, according to a letter by three members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Apr 29, 2024 12:17 PM CDT

Supreme Court won’t hear lawyer’s challenge to anti-bias ethics rule

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday denied certiorari in a challenge to a Pennsylvania ethics rule that bars lawyers from knowingly engaging in conduct that constitutes discrimination and harassment in the practice of law.

Apr 24, 2024 10:16 AM CDT

Nearly three-quarters of Americans think US democracy is getting weaker, ABA poll finds

Seventy-four percent of U.S. residents say American democracy is weaker than five years ago, according to an ABA poll released in advance of Law Day on May 1.

Apr 23, 2024 11:35 AM CDT

Second groundbreaking ABA AI and economic justice webinar set for April 26

On April 26, the ABA, in partnership with the National Association of Consumer Advocates, will host “AI and Consumers: The Invisible Impact on Economic Justice”—the ABA’s second webinar in an ongoing series on artificial intelligence and economic justice issues.

Apr 23, 2024 8:53 AM CDT

More 2023 law school grads found full-time jobs than any class in past 10 years, new ABA data shows

More recent law school grads are employed 10 months after graduation than any class of the past decade, according to recently released data by the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

Apr 22, 2024 1:13 PM CDT

Budding cannabis law courses are growing—but not fast enough

An increasing number of law schools around the country are offering cannabis law courses, but some professors think that even more are needed. “We’re still playing catch-up.”

Apr 15, 2024 9:30 AM CDT

Should ABA strike ‘nonlawyer’ from its vocabulary? Petition says it’s time

The word “nonlawyer” fails to acknowledge the wide range of contributions of all legal professionals and should no longer be used by the ABA, according to a petition posted on LinkedIn.

Apr 11, 2024 11:14 AM CDT

Wisconsin bar redefines ‘diversity’ to settle challenge to clerkship program; both sides claim success

The State Bar of Wisconsin has agreed to redefine “diversity” as it applies to its Diversity Clerkship Program to settle a challenge filed by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty.

Apr 9, 2024 2:49 PM CDT

Shake-up in US News’ 2024 law school rankings

Updated: The 2024 U.S. News & World Report Best Law Schools rankings is riddled with ties, including three ties in the top tier, and a few unusual jumps. As predicted by rankings watchers, Stanford Law School and Yale Law School came out on top—but in a tie for first that those experts didn’t expect.

Apr 9, 2024 12:30 PM CDT

After man is sentenced for threat to kill chief justice, ABA president says threats risk ‘very fabric of our democracy’

ABA President Mary Smith issued a statement Monday that condemned “false statements and scurrilous accusations against judges for partisan, personal gain” that are being made by “national leaders and private citizens.”

Apr 9, 2024 11:07 AM CDT

2024 Margaret Brent Award winners announced

For the 34th year, the ABA will be honoring distinguished women in the profession with the Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award.

Apr 8, 2024 3:17 PM CDT

Former DOJ official who alleged election fraud violated at least one ethics rule, ethics committee says

Former U.S. Department of Justice official Jeffrey Clark violated at least one ethics rule in connection with his false claims of election fraud during the 2020 presidential election, according to a preliminary finding announced Thursday by an ethics hearing committee.

Apr 5, 2024 9:14 AM CDT

ABA proposal to accredit online law schools faces opposition from law deans

A proposal to accredit fully online law schools has met pushback from 26 law school deans, saying more information is needed regarding bar pass and employment rates of online law school graduates.

Apr 3, 2024 12:25 PM CDT

Civil legal aid lawyers are often the last line of defense. Why are there so few of them?

As the 2023 ABA Profile of the Legal Profession reveals, civil legal aid lawyers are in short supply across the United States. According to the 142-page report, even though there are 1.3 million lawyers in the U.S., nationwide there are still only 10,000 paid civil legal aid lawyers, or about three for every 10,000 people in poverty.

Apr 1, 2024 3:00 AM CDT