NationMaster - Encyclopedia: American Bar Association

The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation of model legal codes. Image File history File links AmBarAssn_HQ.JPG Photo of the Washington office of the American Bar Association, located at 740 15th Street, N.W., Washington, DC. This image has been (or is hereby) released into the public domain by its creator, rfc1394. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... A voluntary association (also sometimes called an unincorporated association, or just an association) is a group of individuals who voluntarily enter into an agreement to form a body (or organization) to accomplish a purpose. ... A bar association is a professional body of lawyers who, in some jurisdictions, are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession. ... For information on the type of fish called Lawyer, see the article on Burbot. ... // A law school is an institution where future lawyers obtain legal degrees. ...

Model ethical standards for lawyers

The most important role of the ABA is its creation and maintenance of a code of ethical standards for lawyers. The Model Code of Professional Responsibility (1969) and/or the newer Model Rules of Professional Conduct (1983) have been adopted in 49 state jurisdictions and the District of Columbia. The one exception is California, which has refused to adopt either (see State Bar of California), although a few sections of the California Rules of Professional Responsibility were clearly influenced by the ABA models. American Bar Association Model Code of Professional Responsibility, created by the American Bar Association (ABA) in 1969, is a set of professional standards to guarantee the minimum legal ethics and professional responsibility of lawyers in the United States. ... ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, created by the American Bar Association (ABA), is a set of professional standards to guarantee the minimum legal ethics and professional responsibility of lawyers in the United States. ... A U.S. state is any one of the 50 states which have membership of the federation known as the United States of America (USA or U.S.). The separate state governments and the U.S. federal government share sovereignty. ... ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... The State Bars main office in San Francisco is housed on several floors of this office building The State Bar of California is Californias official bar association. ...

Accreditation of law schools

According to the ABA, it "provides law school accreditation, continuing legal education, information about the law, programs to assist lawyers and judges in their work, and initiatives to improve the legal system for the public. The Mission of the American Bar Association is to be the national representative of the legal profession, serving the public and the profession by promoting justice, professional excellence and respect for the law." (www.abanet.org)

Publications

The Association publishes a general magazine for all members, the ABA Journal. ABA members may also join subject-specific "sections," and each section publishes a variety of newsletters and magazines for its members. The sections also hold their own meetings.

Each section will normally have a publication program that includes (1) books, usually oriented toward practitioners; (2) scholarly journals, such as The International Lawyer (published by the ABA Section of International Law and SMU Dedman School of Law); (3) newsletters, such as The International Law News (published by the ABA Section of International Law; (4) e-publications, such as a monthly message from the section chair, or updates on substantive law developments; and (5) committee publications, such as a committee newsletter published by one of the substantive law committees. The International Lawyer is the official quarterly publication of the American Bar Associations Section of International Law and Practice. ... Dallas Hall at Dedman College at SMU The Laura Lee Blanton Hall during a rare snow Southern Methodist University (also known as SMU) is a private, coeducational university in University Park, Texas, (an enclave of Dallas). ... The SMU School of Law, founded in February 1925, was renamed Dedman School of Law in February 2001 in honor of its benefactors, the late Robert H. Dedman Sr. ...

Governing bodies and leaders

The ABA has a House of Delegates which acts as the organization's primary body for adopting new policies and recommendations as part of the association's official position.

In 1995 Roberta Cooper Ramo became the first woman president of the American Bar Association since its inception in 1878.

Recent ABA Presidents

Former Mayor Dennis Archer Dennis Wayne Archer (born January 1, 1942 in Detroit, Michigan) is a former president of the American Bar Association, and was the first Black American to hold this office. ... Nickname: River City, Cap City, R-V-A Motto: Sic Itur Ad Astra (Thus do we reach the stars) Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia Coordinates: Country United States State Virginia County Independent City Mayor L. Douglas Wilder (D) Area - City 62. ... Michael S. Greco Michael S. Greco, a partner in the Boston office of Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham, LLP, is President of the American Bar Association[1]. He became president in August 2005, at the Associationâ€™s Annual Meeting in Chicago. ... Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area - City 232. ...

Rating of judicial nominees

For decades, the ABA has participated in the federal judicial nomination process by vetting nominees and giving them a rating ranging from "not qualified" to "well qualified." The process has been accused by some (including the Federalist Society) of having a liberal bias. Their argument, particularly that of the Federalist Society, stems in large part from the rejection of Robert Bork as a nominee to the Supreme Court in 1987. A majority of the ABA committee found Bork "qualified." He is widely viewed as having defeated his own nomination because of his radical views on the Constitution and his argumentative style in his confirmation hearings. A minority of the ABA committee found Bork not qualified and thus had no bearing on the recommendation, but critics have seized on it as proof of liberal bias on the part of the ABA as a whole. All subsequent nominees have been heavily coached and exceedingly cautious in the hearings. For example, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas told the Senate Judiciary Committee during his confirmation hearings that he had never discussed with others the landmark abortion case Roe v. Wade, which was decided while he was in his second year of law school. ^[1]^[2]^[3] American liberalismâ€”that is, liberalism in the United States of Americaâ€”is a broad political and philosophical mindset, favoring individual liberty, and opposing restrictions on liberty, whether they come from established religion, from government regulation, from the existing class structure, or from multi-national corporations. ...

For example, the ABA gave Ronald Reagan's judicial nominees Richard Posner and Frank H. Easterbrook low "qualified/not qualified" ratings; later, the ABA gave Bill Clinton judicial nominees with resumes that its critics claim are similar "well qualified" ratings. The ABA vetting process, however, does not rely specifically on resumes but rather on extensive interviews with lawyers, judges and others who are closely familiar with a nominee's legal work. ^[4]^[5]^[6] Meanwhile, Judges Posner and Easterbrook have gone on to become the two most highly-cited judges in the federal appellate judiciary.^[7] Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 â€“ June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981â€“1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967â€“1975). ... Richard A. Posner Richard Allen Posner (born January 11, 1939 in New York City) is currently a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. ... Frank Hoover Easterbrook (born 1948) is Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ...

In 2001, the George W. Bush administration announced that it would cease cooperating with the ABA in advance of judicial nominations. The ABA continues to rate nominees. In 2005, the ABA gave John Roberts, George W. Bush's nomination for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, a unanimous "well-qualified" rating. It also gave a unanimous "well qualified" rating to appellate court nominee Miguel Estrada, who never took his seat because his nomination was filibustered. However, after carefully interviewing a considerable number of lawyers, judges and others who have closely observed her professional work, it gave only a "qualified/not-qualified" rating to nominee Janice Rogers Brown.^[8] In 2006, the ABA gave a unanimous "well-qualified" rating to Judge Samuel Alito, Bush's appointee for Sandra Day O'Connor's Associate Justice position. George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... John Glover Roberts Jr. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... Miguel Angel Estrada (born September 25, 1961) is an American lawyer who became embroiled in controversy following his 2001 nomination by President George W. Bush to the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. ... In a legislature or other decision making body, a filibuster is an attempt to extend debate upon a proposal in order to delay or completely prevent a vote on its passage. ... The Honorable Janice Rogers Brown Janice Rogers Brown (born May 11, 1949 in Greenville, Alabama) is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr. ... Sandra Day OConnor (born March 26, 1930) is an American jurist who served as the first female Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1981 to 2006. ...

"ABA: Bush violating Constitution"

In July 2006, an ABA task force released a report which concluded that George W. Bush's use of "signing statements" violates the Constitution. These are documents attached by the President to bills he signs, in which he states that he will enforce the new law only to the extent that he feels the law conforms to his interpretation of the Constitution.[1]

Criticisms of the ABA

The ABA has been criticized for perceived elitism and overrepresentation of white male corporate defense lawyers among its membership; in 1925, African-American lawyers formed the National Bar Association at a time when ABA would not allow them to be members. The National Bar Association was established in 1925. ...

However, since the 1960s, the ABA has made great strides in increasing the diversity of its membership. Its membership has grown from less than 11 percent of all American lawyers to roughly 50 percent today. In recent years, the ABA has also drawn some criticism, mainly from the conservative side of the political spectrum, for taking positions on controversial public policy topics such as abortion, capital punishment and gun control. The ABA's official position in favor of abortion rights led to the formation of a (much smaller) alternative organization for lawyers, the National Lawyers Association. The Federalist Society sponsors a twice-a-year publication called "ABA Watch" that reports on the political activities of the ABA. Capital punishment in the United States is officially sanctioned by 38 of the 50 states, as well as by the federal government and the military. ... Gun politics in the United States Constitutional issues The private ownership of guns is an especially contentious political topic in the United States, where the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution states: The meaning of this text remains fiercely debated, with some saying that the amendment only refers to... The National Lawyers Association is a voluntary association of lawyers in the United States, similar in many respects to the American Bar Association (ABA), but farther to the political right. ... The Federalist Society logo, depicting James Madisons silhouette The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, most frequently called simply the Federalist Society, began at Yale Law School, Harvard Law School, and the University of Chicago Law School in 1982 as a student organization that challenged the perceived...

There are heated debates over requirements placed on law schools by the ABA. Many states and practitioners believe ABA requirements to be unnecessary and costly. Some legal professionals and academics feel these requirements promote the rising cost of tuition.

See also

A lawyer in the United States is technically called an attorney at law or an attorney-at-law. ... ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, created by the American Bar Association (ABA), is a set of professional standards to guarantee the minimum legal ethics and professional responsibility of lawyers in the United States. ... The ABA digital signature guidelines are a set of guidelines published by the American Bar Association (ABA) on 1 August 1996. ...

International American Bar Associations

Notes or references

id="External_links"> National Review Online is the online presence of the prominent conservative political magazine National Review. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 4 is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 21 is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... The Cable News Network, commonly known as CNN, is a major cable television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. ... This article is about the year 2001. ... March 21 is the 80th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (81st in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 21 is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Jefferson Beauregard Jeff Sessions III (born December 24, 1946) is the junior United States Senator from Alabama. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 31 is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 21 is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 12 is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 20 is the 232nd day of the year (233rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... The Wall Street Journal is an influential international daily newspaper published in New York City, New York with an average daily circulation of 1,800,607 (2002). ... This article is about the year 2001. ... August 6 is the 218th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (219th in leap years), with 147 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 21 is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... The Federalist Society logo, depicting James Madisons silhouette The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, most frequently called simply the Federalist Society, began at Yale Law School, Harvard Law School, and the University of Chicago Law School in 1982 as a student organization that challenged the perceived... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 20 is the 232nd day of the year (233rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 20 is the 232nd day of the year (233rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... A news release, press release or press statement is a written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media for the purpose of announcing something claimed as having news value. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 20 is the 232nd day of the year (233rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

External links

Categories: Bar associations | United States law | School accreditors | American professional bodies | Industry trade groups Image File history File links Wikinews-logo. ... Wikinews is a free-content news source and a project of the Wikimedia Foundation. ... The Federalist Society logo, depicting James Madisons silhouette The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, most frequently called simply the Federalist Society, began at Yale Law School, Harvard Law School, and the University of Chicago Law School in 1982 as a student organization that challenged the perceived...

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