‘De-lawyering’ of problem-solving courts suggested by Delaware chief justice

Chief Justice Myron Steele of the Delaware Supreme Court addressed the ABA House of Delegates on Monday in a speech moved to the beginning of the session so he could return to his state following a courthouse shooting in Wilmington. Speaking on behalf of the Conference of Chief Justices, Steele…

Feb 11, 2013 3:43 PM CST

ABA House to consider resolutions reflecting the globalization of law practice

Law practice has become increasingly global in nature—a reality reflected in four proposed revisions to the ABA’s model ethics rules. The ABA’s policy-making House of Delegates will consider the model rule changes on Monday along with proposals on human trafficking, super PAC disclosures, indigent defense and unbundled legal services. Three…

Feb 11, 2013 1:00 PM CST

New Jersey lawyer expected to be first woman of color to lead the ABA

Paulette Brown is on track to become the first woman of color to serve as ABA president. On Sunday, Brown made her first formal appearance before the ABA Nominating Committee as a candidate for president-elect. And because she is running unopposed, her election is virtually assured. Under ABA rules for…

Feb 11, 2013 1:48 AM CST

It’s official: William Hubbard of South Carolina is nominated to become ABA president-elect

The ABA Nominating Committee on Sunday confirmed its selection of William C. Hubbard, a partner at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough in Columbia, S.C., as the association’s president-elect nominee. Hubbard, who served as chair of the House of Delegates in 2008-10, is running unopposed, so the Nominating Committee’s announcement following…

Feb 11, 2013 1:29 AM CST

Midyear attendees enjoy some laughs, and a little off-the-record CLE, at ABA Night at the Movies

All around America, Saturday night is probably the most popular time to go out and catch a movie, so why not bring the tradition to ABA meetings? That was the thinking behind ABA President-Elect James R. Silkenat’s idea to sponsor ABA Night at the Movies on Saturday during the association’s…

Feb 10, 2013 2:00 PM CST

Two-year law school was a good idea in 1970, and it’s a good idea now, prof tells ABA task force

Click here for access to all of our coverage of this year’s ABA Midyear Meeting. Duke University law professor Paul Carrington recalls overseeing a study on legal education reform in 1970 that was funded by the Ford Foundation. The conclusion? The third year of legal education is a waste of…

Feb 10, 2013 1:36 AM CST

How far should companies be allowed to go to hunt cyber attackers?

Suppose a thief breaks into your house and steals your belongings. In efforts to cover his tracks, the thief hides your stuff in a neighbor’s garage. The neighbor doesn’t realize your property is in his garage, but you find it there. What do you do next–go into the neighbor’s garage…

Feb 10, 2013 1:25 AM CST

Breaking the cycle of violence against women is a key to ending human trafficking, activists say

There’s an impressive arsenal of legislation initiatives to combat human trafficking in the United States. But experts say eradication of the practice is meeting with a stubborn resistance, an issue that’s been thwarting efforts for more than 20 years. What’s the hurdle? The legal system and society have failed to…

Feb 9, 2013 1:31 AM CST

Don’t see stand-your-ground issues? Maybe you should ‘give up your bar card,’ DA says

Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins told lawyers at the ABA Midyear Meeting on Friday that they have a responsibility to work to revise stand your ground laws. More often than not, Watkins said at a public hearing, it is minorities who “find themselves on the wrong end of a…

Feb 8, 2013 10:45 PM CST

Bolstering rights of women is key to rule of law in Arab Spring countries, former senator says

The overthrow of several regimes in the Middle East over the past two years hasn’t produced much progress toward achieving equality for women, former U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison told lawyers gathering for the ABA’s 2013 Midyear Meeting in Dallas. And if women and girls in the region do not…

Feb 8, 2013 2:47 AM CST

Stand your ground laws, human trafficking and legal education on tap at ABA Midyear

Criminal justice issues are on the agenda as the ABA Midyear Meeting kicks off this week in Dallas. Up for discussion are stand your ground laws, the treatment of human trafficking victims, cybersecurity threats and indigent defense improvements. Stand your ground laws are getting increased scrutiny since lawyers for George…

Feb 7, 2013 3:14 PM CST

ABA Announcements

Jan 1, 2013 7:00 AM CST

ABA Announcements

Dec 1, 2012 7:20 AM CST

ABA Task Force Seeks Comment on Future of Legal Education

Have any thoughts you’d like to share on the future of legal education? Then an ABA task force that is studying the subject would like to hear from you. The 19-member Task Force on the Future of Legal Education, created last August by outgoing ABA President Wm. T. (Bill) Robinson…

Nov 30, 2012 8:30 PM CST

Ethics 20/20 Recommends Helping Foreign Lawyers to Practice in US, Sidesteps Nonlawyer Ownership

The ABA Commission on Ethics 20/20 decided last week that its final recommendations to the association’s policy-making House of Delegates will focus on measures that would make it easier for foreign lawyers to obtain limited authority to practice in U.S. jurisdictions. Meeting in Washington, D.C., the commission also decided that…

Oct 30, 2012 3:30 PM CDT