Bar Associations

Candor: You know it when you don’t see it

Probably to his regret, the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart is best remembered for his famous nondefinition of obscenity: “I know it when I see it,” in Jacobellis v. Ohio, 378 U.S. 184 (1964).

Sep 27, 2023 2:03 PM CDT

Supreme Court rejects Alabama’s bid to avoid crafting second Black-opportunity voting district

Updated: The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to stay a decision finding that Alabama had defied court opinions when it failed to create a second Black-opportunity congressional district.

Sep 26, 2023 11:12 AM CDT

ABA president announces Martin Scorsese, Dolores Huerta to join new speaker series

Beginning in October, ABA members will hear directly from Academy Award-winning director Martin Scorsese, labor rights icon Dolores Huerta and other influential thinkers and trailblazers.

Sep 26, 2023 10:17 AM CDT

As California changes ethics rules, surveyed lawyers express concern about integrity of the profession

Lawyers who back ethics reform are most concerned about maintaining the integrity of the legal profession, according to a survey by Bloomberg Law.

Sep 22, 2023 8:27 AM CDT

New law school targeting part-time students planned for Charlotte, North Carolina

Elon University plans to open a part-time, in-person law school in Charlotte, North Carolina, after the only other law school operating in the city was forced to shut down in 2017.

Sep 21, 2023 8:53 AM CDT

For 30 years, ABA Children’s Rights Litigation Committee has trained and supported kids’ lawyers

The Children’s Rights Litigation Committee “has just been a fantastic banger of the drum that kids need true representation, just like anyone else who’s inside a system that is making incredibly impactful decisions about their lives,” says Angela Vigil, the longest-serving member of the committee.

Sep 21, 2023 8:50 AM CDT

Former law school dean, known for ensuring ‘people were treated equitably,’ dies after attending university event

JoAnne Epps, the acting president of Temple University and its former law school dean, died Wednesday after becoming ill at a campus memorial service. She was 72 years old.

Sep 20, 2023 12:08 PM CDT

ABA’s AI task force will provide lawyers with practical tips, starting with Sept. 28 webinar

Through the next year, the ABA’s Task Force on the Law and Artificial Intelligence will provide practical information to help lawyers navigate and responsibly use AI, as well as recommendations and reports on several key issues.

Sep 19, 2023 8:30 AM CDT

22% of Americans think First Amendment protects gun rights, says poll released before Constitution Day

Seventy-seven percent of surveyed Americans were able to recall that the First Amendment protects freedom of speech, but less than half were able to name other rights protected by that amendment.

Sep 15, 2023 11:20 AM CDT

‘Torture Memos’ author testifies in ethics hearing to support Eastman’s ideas on Pence as election arbiter

John Yoo, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley School of Law—known for the Department of Justice "Torture Memos" that he wrote supporting waterboarding—testified Tuesday in support of one of John Eastman’s legal theories on how to overturn the 2020 election.

Sep 14, 2023 12:00 PM CDT

In ‘watershed moment,’ report recommends new guidelines for public defender caseloads

Many public defenders are “overloaded” with work, even when caseloads are evaluated under outdated guidelines drafted in 1973 that don't reflect modern-day realities, according to a new study released Tuesday.

Sep 13, 2023 2:24 PM CDT

Oregon and Kentucky law schools are back in compliance, ABA Legal Ed Section says

The University of Oregon School of Law and the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law have demonstrated compliance with accreditation standards, according to the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

Sep 8, 2023 1:47 PM CDT

Family First: A group of Washington lawyers works to keep infants with their mothers

While family separations have long been the norm when treating babies born dependent on substances, recent research suggests allowing a mother to stay with and care for her infant significantly improves their health outcomes.

Sep 7, 2023 11:06 AM CDT

Do this, not that, when preparing witnesses and during testimony, new ABA ethics opinion says

Lawyers have a duty to prepare and guide witnesses, but attorneys can’t coach a witness in a way that interferes with the integrity of the justice system and obstructs another party’s access to evidence, according to an ethics opinion released Wednesday by the ABA’s Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility.

Sep 6, 2023 10:44 AM CDT

Passion for Justice: Northwestern law prof fights for juvenile rights armed with research

Julie Biehl, an ABA member since 2006, is known as a straight shooter, whose presence fills a room. “She’s a tiny woman, maybe 5’1”, but she is so fiery and so full of passion and just cares,” says Garien Gatewood, deputy mayor for community safety for the city of Chicago.

Sep 6, 2023 10:09 AM CDT