Articles Posted in American Bar Association

FROM THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION (ABA):

“This year’s celebration of Law Day is much different than any we have ever faced. Our justice system and profession face grave risks due to the clear pattern of statements and actions by elected and appointed officials that threaten the rule of law. These include attacks on the judiciary and the legal profession, retaliation against those who disagree with government actions, and efforts to penalize those who seek to eliminate bias in our justice system and profession and enhance diversity. The frequency and intensity of these attacks are escalating. You read about them every day. We have spoken strongly and clearly about these threats. Make no mistake. Our judicial system, profession and the principles we have cherished for 250 years are at risk”  Continue Reading

BAR ORGANIZATIONS’ STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF THE RULE OF LAW.

The digital age has dramatically expanded how we connect, communicate, and share. Yet with these advances come new risks—especially for vulnerable individuals targeted through online platforms. One of the most alarming forms of harm emerging in this environment is cyber sexual misconduct, which encompasses a broad range of non-consensual, sexually inappropriate behaviors conducted via digital means.

As technology evolves faster than the law can keep up, cyber sexual misconduct presents pressing questions about privacy, consent, and accountability. Increasingly, these acts are being recognized not merely as ethical violations, but as criminal offenses requiring serious legal and societal responses.

What Is Cyber Sexual Misconduct?

Artificial Intelligence: Legal Issues, Policy, and Practical Strategies, Edited by Cynthia H Cwik, Christopher A Suarez, and Lucy L Thomson.

A publication by the American Bar Association.

“This book covers a wide range of important topics concerning AI and the law, and provides practical advice to attorneys on how to navigate these complex and rapidly evolving issues.”

Adopted August 2016; Revised Commentary 2017 and 2024.

FROM THE INTRODUCTION:

Persons with mental disorders are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system. Studies suggest that anywhere from 16 to 24% of people in jails and prisons have a serious mental illness.1 This rate is three to 12 times higher than the rate of serious mental disability in the community, 2 and at least three times higher than the population in psychiatric hospitals.3 It also represents a vast increase over the incarceration rate of people with mental disability 30 years ago, when the first edition of these Standards was promulgated.4 If mental disorder is defined more broadly, to include personality disorders, the percentages involved in the criminal system skyrocket to over 50%.

The White Collar Crime Institute of the American Bar Association is considered the “premier gathering for legal professionals specializing in white-collar crime”. It is being held in Miami, FL , March 4-7, 2025. For additional information and registration, click here.

A message from William R. Bay, President of the American Bar Association, February 10, 2025:

It has been three weeks since Inauguration Day. Most Americans recognize that newly elected leaders bring change. That is expected. But most Americans also expect that changes will take place in accordance with the rule of law and in an orderly manner that respects the lives of affected individuals and the work they have been asked to perform.Instead, we see wide-scale affronts to the rule of law itself, such as attacks on constitutionally protected birthright citizenship, the dismantling of USAID and the attempts to criminalize those who support lawful programs to eliminate bias and enhance diversity.

We have seen attempts at wholesale dismantling of departments and entities created by Congress without seeking the required congressional approval to change the law. There are efforts to dismiss employees with little regard for the law and protections they merit, and social media announcements that disparage and appear to be motivated by a desire to inflame without any stated factual basis. This is chaotic. It may appeal to a few. But it is wrong. And most Americans recognize it is wrong. It is also contrary to the rule of law.The American Bar Association supports the rule of law. That means holding governments, including our own, accountable under law. We stand for a legal process that is orderly and fair. We have consistently urged the administrations of both parties to adhere to the rule of law. We stand in that familiar place again today. And we do not stand alone. Our courts stand for the rule of law as well.Just last week, in rejecting citizenship challenges, the U.S. District Judge John Coughenour said that the rule of law is, according to this administration, something to navigate around or simply ignore. “Nevertheless,” he said, “in this courtroom and under my watch, the rule of law is a bright beacon which I intend to follow.” He is correct. The rule of law is a bright beacon for our country.In the last 21 days, more than a dozen lawsuits have been filed alleging that the administration’s actions violate the rule of law and are contrary to the Constitution or laws of the United States. The list grows longer every day.

An event hosted by the American Bar Association Science and Technology Law Section.

” Hosted by the ABA Science & Technology Law Section (SciTech), the Privacy and Emerging Technology National Institute combines Privacy with the Section’s Spring Meeting (PRISM). And like a prism, this enlightening conference provides you with opportunities to see and understand privacy and emerging technology legal issues in a different and transformative way. Network with top attorneys, policymakers, and industry experts. Earn 10 CLE credits, including 1 hour of ethics.”

March 20, 2025 – March 21, 2025.

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