Community Cohesiveness

Bar associations and other organizations working locally to strengthen justice

Jul 1, 2008 1:00 PM CDT

Okla. Bar GC Accused of Groping and Biting Woman

A crime report detailing accusations against the general counsel of the Oklahoma Bar Association alleges he groped a woman in a Remington Park suite and bit her breast, the Oklahoman reports. The Oklahoma City lawyer, Dan Murdock, was arrested shortly before midnight on Saturday while hosting a wedding shower in…

Jul 1, 2008 11:03 AM CDT

Response Team

New agreement gives YLD more flexibility to marshal legal responses to disasters

Jul 1, 2008 8:01 AM CDT

The Good, the Bad, and the Tiny

ABA projects focus on legal issues relating to the increasing use of nanotechnology

Jul 1, 2008 7:01 AM CDT

Safety Net

Congress considers authorizing ABA attorney network for domestic violence victims

Jul 1, 2008 6:01 AM CDT

ABA Notices

Jul 1, 2008 5:01 AM CDT

ABA President Calls for Mugabe to Restore Rule of Law

Against a backdrop of increasingly violent contention that has led Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II to rescind the knighthood of Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe, the president of the ABA today sent a letter (PDF) to Mugabe. It calls for Mugabe to put an end to “state-sponsored violence and intimidation of lawyers”…

Jun 30, 2008 10:35 PM CDT

Oklahoma Bar GC Arrested on Sexual Battery Charge

The general counsel of the Oklahoma Bar Association was arrested Saturday on a charge of sexual battery, the Oklahoman reports. The story did not have details of the complaint against lawyer Dan Murdock. He refused comment on his arrest, but his lawyer Tom Riesen said Murdock denies that inappropriate conduct…

Jun 30, 2008 3:24 PM CDT

Legal Assistance Lawyer Calls for ‘Civil Gideon’ in N.H.

In a newspaper editorial today, a legal assistance lawyer calls for New Hampshire to follow recommendations of a state commission and the ABA and provide counsel to litigants who can’t afford attorneys in civil cases that affect fundamental rights. Unable to afford lawyers, individuals can lose their homes and their…

Jun 27, 2008 6:26 PM CDT

The Rule of Man: A Film Recommendation Leads to a Father’s Enduring Lesson

This year’s Ross Essay Contest—asking ABA members to address the topic “Why do you believe the legal profession is the greatest profession in the world?”—brought in so many good entries that we have several we want to share in the coming weeks. The contest and $5,000 grand prize is supported…

Jun 26, 2008 4:02 PM CDT

Some Bungee Jump; Mark Bennett Practices Law

Some folks gamble. Others bungee jump, or climb mountains. Mark Bennett practices law, along with his attorney wife, as a criminal defense lawyer working out of their home in Houston. Being responsible for another human being’s freedom is a thrilling job for a lawyer, “very gratifying when we can help…

Jun 24, 2008 7:49 PM CDT

Okla. Attorney Disbarred; Court Cites ‘Unbelievable’ Testimony

An Oklahoma attorney has been disbarred by the state supreme court after allegations that he forged a letter under another lawyer’s letterhead, purporting to sign it with that lawyer’s name, and sought to trade legal services for sexual favors, among other claimed misconduct. The lawyer, Michael Gassaway, “obtain[ed] the signature…

Jun 17, 2008 9:36 PM CDT

‘Champions of Justice’ Share $500,000 Prize

The Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation has announced that two renowned human rights lawyers will share its $500,000 Gruber Foundation International Justice Prize for 2008. Thomas Buergenthal, an American judge on the International Court of Justice who co-authored the first international human rights law textbook in the U.S., and Jerome…

Jun 13, 2008 3:58 AM CDT

Internationally Known Lawyer Patricia Wald to Get Top ABA Honor

Patricia Wald, a lawyer internationally known for her work as a judge and on public interest projects, is this year’s recipient of the American Bar Association Medal, the ABA’s top honor. Wald, who was the first woman on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, served 20…

Jun 12, 2008 8:23 PM CDT

Chinese Law School Plans to Seek Accreditation from ABA

A new law school in China has announced its intent to seek accreditation from the American Bar Association, so graduates could potentially practice law in the U.S. (States commonly require a degree from an ABA-accredited law school as a prerequisite for taking the bar exam.) Peking University School of Transnational…

Jun 6, 2008 12:19 AM CDT