ABA moves annual meeting online

May 11, 2020

ABA JOURNAL — The 2020 ABA Annual Meeting is scheduled for July 29 to Aug. 4. In addition to nearly 500 meetings and events, it includes the convening of the board to discuss the association’s business matters and the House of Delegates to consider a number of policy proposals.

Read More about ABA moves annual meeting online

ABA and Law Library of Congress to host virtual celebration of Law Day

April 28, 2020

ABA JOURNAL — To celebrate Law Day 2020, the ABA and Law Library of Congress plan to host a virtual panel discussion on April 30 that focuses on how the women’s suffrage movement and ratification of the 19th Amendment changed the United States. The program, “Social Movement Changing America: The Legacies of the 19th Amendment,” will

Read More about ABA and Law Library of Congress to host virtual celebration of Law Day

ABA Board of Governors pass resolution urging states to allow emergency practice for new law graduates amid bar exam delays

April 21, 2020

INSIDE HIGHER ED — The American Bar Association’s Board of Governors passed a policy resolution this week urging state licensing authorities to allow 2019 and 2020 law graduates who can’t take the July bar exam to practice law in a limited capacity. Some jurisdictions already have canceled the July administration of the test due to COVID-19.

Read More about ABA Board of Governors pass resolution urging states to allow emergency practice for new law graduates amid bar exam delays

Legal community reacts to ABA resolution on limited law practice for new graduates

April 21, 2020

ABA JOURNAL — Under the resolution, limited practice rules would apply to graduates of ABA-accredited law schools who graduated between 2019 and 2020 and have not yet taken the bar exam. Limited authorization would end if someone takes and fails a bar exam, and people who previously failed a bar exam would not be eligible under

Read More about Legal community reacts to ABA resolution on limited law practice for new graduates

ABA Young Lawyers Division creates national hotline to connect those in need to legal services

April 20, 2020

ABA JOURNAL — The ABA Young Lawyers Division has created a national hotline to connect those needing legal services during the COVID-19 pandemic through its Disaster Legal Services Program. The toll-free number, provided by RingCentral Inc., is 888-743-5749, according to an ABA press release.

Read More about ABA Young Lawyers Division creates national hotline to connect those in need to legal services

Hawaii reschedules July bar exam to fall

April 7, 2020

ABA JOURNAL — The New York Court of Appeals announced Tuesday that the bar exam will take place shortly before or after the Labor Day holiday. Also on Tuesday, the Hawaii Supreme Court in an order announced that its July bar exam will be rescheduled for some time in the fall.

Read More about Hawaii reschedules July bar exam to fall

New York reschedules July bar exam to early September

April 7, 2020

NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION — Just one day after the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) Task Force on the New York Bar Examination recommended that the postponed July bar exam be rescheduled for a date close to Labor Day, the Court of Appeals met and decided it agreed. In an announcement late Tuesday, the

Read More about New York reschedules July bar exam to early September

ABA Commission on the Future of Legal Education releases report on improving access to law school and the legal profession

March 23, 2020

ABA JOURNAL — The costs of legal education and licensure should not act as a barrier for the quality and availability of legal services, and legal education should not be one size fits all, according to commentary released Wednesday by the ABA’s Commission on the Future of Legal Education.

Read More about ABA Commission on the Future of Legal Education releases report on improving access to law school and the legal profession

A look at how the ABA bar passage standard changes are affecting law school accreditation

March 18, 2020

ABA JOURNAL — Under the old version of Standard 316, which sets bar passage requirements for ABA-accredited law schools, the Council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar entertained all sorts of exceptions—including having a 75% pass rate for all graduates over the five most recent calendar years, or at least

Read More about A look at how the ABA bar passage standard changes are affecting law school accreditation

ABA cancels some meetings in response to coronavirus

March 18, 2020

ABA JOURNAL — One of the canceled meetings was a Health Law Section conference on emerging issues in health care, where one of the topics set for discussion was privacy and the coronavirus. The meeting had been scheduled for Wednesday to Saturday in San Diego. It was canceled after California declared a state of emergency due to the

Read More about ABA cancels some meetings in response to coronavirus