Entries filed under 'News Releases'

American Bar Association announces finalists for 2018 Silver Gavel Awards for Media and the Arts

March 14, 2018 8:45 AM by glynnj

WASHINGTON, March 14, 2018 —The American Bar Association today announced the 19 finalists for the 2018 Silver Gavel Awards for Media and the Arts, which recognize outstanding work that fosters the American public’s understanding of law and the legal system. This is the ABA’s highest honor in recognition of this purpose.

“The ABA Gavel Awards Screening Committee had a very difficult task in selecting these finalists among so many qualified entries,” said Stephen C. Edds, chair of the Standing Committee on Gavel Awards. “We congratulate our finalists and look forward to choosing awardees among an already select group.”

The winners will be announced on May 23. 

No more than one Silver Gavel is presented in each category. Honorable mentions are also awarded, but awards are not presented in every category every year.

The ABA Gavel Awards Screening Committee, composed of 45 lawyer-members of the ABA, selected the 19 finalists from 166 entries received in all eligible categories, which include books, commentary, documentaries, drama and literature, magazines, multimedia, newspapers, radio, and television.

Selection criteria include: how the entry addresses the Gavel Awards’ purpose and objectives; educational value of legal information; impact on, or outreach to, the public; thoroughness and accuracy in presentation of issues; creativity and originality in approach to subject matter and effectiveness of presentation; and demonstrated technical skill in the entry’s production.                                                                     

The Association has presented these awards each year since 1958. The 18-member ABA Standing Committee on Gavel Awards makes the final award decisions. ABA President Hilarie Bass will present Silver Gavels and Honorable Mentions on July 17 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. 

To learn more about the Silver Gavel Awards, go to www.ambar.org/gavelawards.

The following is a complete list of finalists with links to their work:

BOOKS

“An American Sickness”
Elizabeth Rosenthal, author
Penguin Random House
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/318776/an-american-sickness-by-elisabeth-rosenthal/9781594206757/

“Habeas Corpus in Wartime: From the Tower of London to Guantanamo Bay”
Amanda Tyler, author
Oxford University Press
https://global.oup.com/academic/product/habeas-corpus-in-wartime-9780199856664?cc=us&lang=en&

“In Praise of Litigation”
Alexandra Lahav, author
Oxford University Press
https://global.oup.com/academic/product/in-praise-of-litigation-9780199380800?cc=us&lang=en&

“Not a Crime to be Poor: The Criminalization of Poverty in America”
Peter Edelman, author
The New Press
https://thenewpress.com/books/not-crime-be-poor-0

“The Chickenshit Club: Why the Justice Department Fails to Prosecute Executives”
Jesse Eisinger, author
Simon & Schuster
http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Chickenshit-Club/Jesse-Eisinger/9781501121364

“Unwarranted: Policing Without Permission”
Barry Friedman, author
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374537456

DOCUMENTARIES

“And Then They Came for Us”
Ginzberg Productions
Abby Ginzberg, producer and co-director
Ken Schneider, editor and co-director
Tatsu Aoki, composer
Richard Cahan, associate producer and photo historian
https://www.thentheycamedoc.com/

“Birthright: A War Story”
Tamarkin Productions
Civia Tamarkin, director, executive producer, and co-writer
Luchina Fisher, co-executive producer and co-writer
https://www.birthrightfilm.com/

“They Call Us Monsters”
BMP Films
Ben Lear, director
Sasha Alpert, producer
https://www.theycallusmonsters.com/

DRAMA & LITERATURE

“Marshall”
Michael Koskoff and Jacob Koskoff, writers
Reginald Hudlin, director and producer
Paula Wagner and Jonathan Sanger, producers
Chestnut Ridge Productions and Hudlin Entertainment
Open Road Films and Starlight Media
http://marshallmovie.com/

MULTIMEDIA

“Witness to Guantanamo”
Peter Honigsberg, director and founder
John Symons, filmmaker
Eva Moss, creative director
Adriana Puente, director of Development & Engagement
Melissa Delizio, designer
Kira Cain, social media coordinator
http://witnesstoguantanamo.com/

NEWSPAPERS

“Death-Penalty Defense Drama at Guantanamo War Court”
Miami Herald
Carol Rosenberg, Military Affairs reporter
Dave Wilson, senior editor
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/guantanamo/

“Secrecy Rules”
Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minn.)
James Shiffer, reporter
http://www.startribune.com/secrecy-rules/434348243/

RADIO

“Breakdown Season 6: A Jury of his Peers”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Richard Halicks, senior editor
Kevin Riley, editor-in-chief
Bill Rankin, Legal Affairs writer
Pete Corson, audience specialist
https://www.myajc.com/voices/breakdown/

“Null and Void”
Radiolab at WNYC
Maria Matasar-Padilla, managing director
Tracie Hunte, reporter
Matt Kielty, producer
Soren Wheeler, managing editor
http://www.radiolab.org/story/null-and-void/

“The Bookie, the Phone Booth, and the FBI”
WNYC Studios New York Public Radio
Manoush Zomorodi, host and managing editor
Kat Aaron, senior producer
Jen Poyant, executive producer
https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/fourth-amendment-privacy/

TELEVISION

“Abacus: Small Enough to Jail”
PBS Distribution, Frontline, and ITVS
Mitten Media, Motto Pictures and Kartemquin Films Production
Steve James, director
Mark Mitten, producer
Julie Goldman, producer
https://www.abacusmovie.com/

“Baltimore Rising”
Blowback Productions for HBO Documentary Films
Sonja Sohn, director and executive producer
Marc Levin, Anthony Hemingway, George Pelecanos, and Mark Taylor, executive producers
Sheila Nevins, executive producer, HBO
Nancy Abraham, senior producer
https://www.blowbackproductions.com/baltimore-rising-2017

48 Hours: “Guilty Until Proven Innocent”
48 Hours/CBS News
Maureen Maher, correspondent
Peter Schweitzer, senior producer
Nancy Kramer, executive story editor
Judy Rybak, producer           
Alicia Tejada, field producer                 
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/guilty-until-proven-innocent/

 

Go to www.abalegalfactcheck.com for the ABA’s new feature that cites case and statutory law and other legal precedents to distinguish legal fact from fiction.

With more than 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is one of the largest voluntary professional membership organizations in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law. View our privacy statement online. Follow the latest ABA news at www.ambar.org/news and on Twitter @ABANews.

 

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Statement of ABA President Hilarie Bass Re: Arrest of Maldives judges

March 14, 2018 8:37 AM by glynnj

WASHINGTON, March 14, 2018 – The American Bar Association calls upon Maldives President Abdulla Yameen to immediately release and reinstate Maldivian Supreme Court Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and Judge Ali Hameed, currently detained without due process. The U.N. Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary underscore the importance of appropriate measures to ensure the safety and security of judges and to protect them from threats or interference from any quarter or for any reason. The ABA is deeply concerned that the arrest and detention of the country’s highest judges violate the constitution of the Maldives and are contrary to international standards regarding the independence of the judiciary. The rule of law must stand above politics, and the preservation of the independence of the judiciary is paramount. The safety and security of the chief justice and all judges on the Maldivian bench are essential, and the ABA urges President Yameen to respect the courts and restore the judges to the bench.

 

Go to www.abalegalfactcheck.com for the ABA’s new feature that cites case and statutory law and other legal precedents to distinguish legal fact from fiction.

With more than 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is one of the largest voluntary professional membership organizations in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law. View our privacy statement online. Follow the latest ABA news at www.americanbar.org/news and on Twitter @ABANews.

 

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Updated FCPA handbook offers new information for representing businesses doing international work

March 13, 2018 9:39 AM by glynnj

CHICAGO, March 13, 2018 — The new fifth edition of “The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Handbook” is a comprehensive guide for attorneys at every level who represent companies conducting business internationally. The handbook is an acclaimed resource for general counsel, transactional lawyers and white collar criminal practitioners.

Updated and revised for 2018, “The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Handbook, Fifth Edition” offers more than 50 new FCPA resolutions and includes coverage of Brazil, Mexico, Canada, China, India, Russia and UK statutes. Information on anti-bribery conventions; responsibilities of boards of directors and management; transactional issues and considerations; gifts, travel, lodging and entertainment; charitable donations and political contributions; and conducting and defending FCPA investigations is also provided. The book identifies all major FCPA risk areas and presents thoughtful and practical advice on how companies can most effectively address these risks and, where appropriate, conduct credible investigations.

Co-author Robert W. Tarun, a former executive assistant U.S. Attorney in Chicago and past regent of the American College of Trial Lawyers, has counseled and conducted sensitive investigations for multinational companies in more than 60 countries. Listed in “Best Lawyers in America” (commercial litigation and white collar criminal defense) and “Chambers USA,” he was named by “Best Lawyers in America©” as White-Collar Criminal Defense Lawyer of the Year in 2017 for San Francisco. Tarun, who taught White Collar Criminal Practice as a lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School, is a partner at Baker & McKenzie LLP in San Francisco.

Co-author Peter P. Tomczak has conducted sensitive investigations in more than 20 countries and counseled companies and their boards of directors on anti-corruption issues. After graduating first in his class from the University of Michigan Law School, he clerked for Vice Chancellor John W. Noble of the Delaware Court of Chancery. He is a partner at Baker & McKenzie LLP in Chicago and serves on the steering committee of Baker & McKenzie’s North America Litigation and Government Enforcement practice group.

Title:                             “The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Handbook, Fifth Edition: A Practical Guide for Multinational Counsel, Transactional Lawyers and White-Collar Criminal Practitioners”
Publisher:                    ABA Book Publishing
Pages:                         1,216
Product Code:             1620756
ISBN:                            978-1-64105-048-7
Size:                              7x10, paperback
Price:                            $299.95
Orders:                        800-285-2221 or http://shopaba.org

What others have said about “The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Handbook, Fifth Edition”:

“The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Handbook is ridiculously good.” — John S. Siffert, founding partner, Lankler Siffert & Wohl LLP, New York

“This is a must-read for any lawyer handling FCPA matters. It is a comprehensive and well-written book by Bob Tarun, one of the country’s outstanding white-collar criminal lawyers.”— Robert S. Bennett, partner, Hogan Lovells LLP, Washington, DC

“Thanks to a first-rate mind and vast practical experience in the FCPA field, Peter Tomczak has become one of the foremost authorities sought out by sophisticated clients. “The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Handbook” is an indispensable asset for inside corporate counsel and law firm attorneys who want to be “on the top of their game” when facing the rough anti-corruption terrain. Like Peter, the handbook is exceptionally practical and deeply insightful at the same time.”—Vincent J. Connelly, Co-Chair, White Collar Criminal Practice, Mayer Brown LLP Chicago

Editor’s note: Author interviews and review copies of this book are available by emailing Dean Pappas at Dean.Pappas@americanbar.org. If you publish a review of this book, please send tear sheets or a copy for our files to Dean Pappas, ABA Book Publishing, 321 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60654.

Go to www.abalegalfactcheck.com for the ABA’s new feature that cites case and statutory law and other legal precedents to distinguish legal fact from fiction.

With more than 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is one of the largest voluntary professional membership organizations in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law. View our privacy statement online. Follow the latest ABA news at www.ambar.org/news and on Twitter @ABANews.

 

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ABA sends letter to attorney general asking him to keep the Office for Access to Justice open

March 13, 2018 8:43 AM by glynnj

WASHINGTON, March 13, 2018 — American Bar Association president Hilarie Bass sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions urging the Department of Justice to continue prioritizing access to justice under the law for all Americans as part of its core mission. While acknowledging the need to bring greater efficiencies to its work, the ABA is concerned about the department’s apparent intent to close its Office for Access to Justice as part of a larger reorganization plan.

Read the full letter here.

Go to www.abalegalfactcheck.com for the ABA’s new feature that cites case and statutory law and other legal precedents to distinguish legal fact from fiction.

With more than 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is one of the largest voluntary professional membership organizations in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law. View our privacy statement online. Follow the latest ABA news at www.americanbar.org/news and on Twitter @ABANews

 

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New ABA book uses graphic novel storytelling to teach lean management methods

March 9, 2018 11:01 AM by glynnj

CHICAGO, March 9, 2018 — Lawyer Carson Wright is the hero of the narrative graphic novel featured in the American Bar Association’s new book on business processes, “The Lean Law Firm: Run Your Firm Like the World’s Most Efficient and Profitable Businesses.” This innovative book brings alive process, marketing and financial advice by telling Carson’s story as he works to save his small law firm using “lean” techniques.

Authors Dave Maxfield and Larry Port show how problems faced by law firms are not unique, but in fact are the same challenges faced by all businesses on their road to profitability. While other kinds of business have forged ahead with new techniques, law firm management has lagged far behind, until now.

Law firms, by adapting the same science of lean management that companies like Toyota pioneered over decades, can become far more efficient – and profitable. As Port writes, “Lean lawyers believe in measurement, reducing waste and producing as much value as they can for their clients.”

“The Lean Law Firm” puts into the readers’ hands everything they need to become lean and embark on their own transformation.  

The website leanlawfirmbook.com contains valuable business tools and the authors’ new podcast, titled The Lean Law Firm Blog and Podcast.

Maxfield has represented thousands of individual consumers in cases against banks, credit reporting agencies and insurance companies for nearly 25 years.  He is the past president of the Richland County (S.C.) Bar Association, and a member of the National Association of Consumer Advocates. Maxfield has taught nearly 100 continuing legal education programs, and is a frequent speaker at the ABA TECHSHOW.  Passionate about technology, he trains lawyers and law students on its use frequently. Articles by and about Maxfield have appeared in South Carolina Lawyer Magazine, ABA Journal and Lawyer’s Weekly.

Port has worked with thousands of law firms worldwide since 2007 when he started the first cloud-based legal practice management software company, Rocket Matter. In his role as founder and CEO of Rocket Matter, Port has become a speaker and award-winning writer at the crossroads of attorney wellness, the legal profession, cutting-edge technology and law firm marketing. He writes extensively for legal publications, including Law Technology News, Law Practice Today, ILTA Peer to Peer, FindLaw, Chicago Lawyer and Legal Productivity blog.

Title:                             “The Lean Law Firm: Run Your Firm Like the World’s Most Efficient and Profitable Businesses”
Publisher:                    ABA Book Publishing
Pages:                         238
Product Code:             5110821
ISBN:                            978-1-64105-138-5
Size:                              238 pages, 7x10, paperback
Price:                            $79.95
Orders:                        800-285-2221 or shopaba.org

 

Editor’s note: Author interviews and review copies of this book are available by emailing Lauren Thompson at Lauren.Thompson@americanbar.org. If you publish a review of this book, please send tear sheets or a copy for our files to Lauren Thompson, ABA Book Publishing, 321 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60654.

Go to www.abalegalfactcheck.com for the ABA’s new feature that cites case and statutory law and other legal precedents to distinguish legal fact from fiction.

With more than 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is one of the largest voluntary professional membership organizations in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law. View our privacy statement online. Follow the latest ABA news at www.ambar.org/news and on Twitter @ABANews.

 

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Saenz to headline Hispanic Legal Conference March 27 in Dallas

March 8, 2018 12:28 PM by glynnj

CHICAGO, March 8, 2018 – Thomas A. Saenz, president and general counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense & Education Fund, will be the featured panelist at a half-day conference in Dallas on the future of America’s Hispanic community. It is the first of five nationwide conferences on the subject sponsored by the American Bar Association’s Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights and Responsibilities.

The event will be held Tuesday, March 27, 1:30 to 5 p.m., at AT&T headquarters, 209 S. Akard St. The program qualifies for CLE credit for lawyers.

Sanez is a nationally recognized civil rights attorney who has led the Mexican American Legal Defense & Education Fund since 2009. As former counsel to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, he helped lead efforts to change the governance of the Los Angeles Unified School District.

The conference will feature two panels:

• An In-Depth Look at the Future of Hispanics: Sanctuary Cities, SB4 and the Current Status of Immigration Reform. Panelists will include Saenz, Texas State Rep. Roberto Alonzo, Mary Elizabeth (Liz) Cedillo-Pereia of the Dallas Office of Welcoming Communities and Immigrant Affairs and Austin lawyer Gloria Leal.
  
  
• The Disappearing Mexican American Law Student, the Future of Latinos in the U.S. and Legal Issues Associated with Community Development and its Impact on the Hispanic Community. Panelists will include Luz Elena Herrera of Texas A&M University School of Law, William Weaver of the University of Texas at El Paso and Hilda Galvan of Jones Day.


Tickets are available for $100. An early-bird discount of $10 is available for people who register by March 12.  Discounted rates of $50 are available for nonprofit and government attorneys.  Attendees may be eligible for a free six-month ABA trial membership. The event is co-sponsored by Lynn Pinker Cox & Hurst, Polsinelli and other friends of the commission.

Other conferences on the same subject, also sponsored the ABA Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights and Responsibilities, will be held this spring in San Francisco, Chicago, New York and Miami. The commission, created in 2012, addresses challenges and responsibilities facing Hispanics in the United States legal system.

To register for the conference and for more information on the commission, visit ambar.org/chlrr.  For more information on the conference, contact Nancy Andrade at nancy.andrade@americanbar.org.

Go to www.abalegalfactcheck.com for the ABA’s new feature that will cite case and statutory law and other legal precedents to distinguish legal fact from fiction.

With more than 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is one of the largest voluntary professional membership organizations in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law. View our privacy statement online. Follow the latest ABA news at www.americanbar.org/news and on Twitter @ABANews.

 

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Statement of ABA President Hilarie Bass re: International Women’s Day

March 8, 2018 9:15 AM by glynnj

WASHINGTON, March 8, 2018 –  In recognition of International Women’s Day, the American Bar Association celebrates the progress of women globally while recognizing the continued need to foster equal rights and opportunities for all women and girls.

Empowering women and girls is not only the right thing to do, it is also the smart thing to do.  Doing so has a multiplier effect on society, with the potential to transform the global economy. Recent studies confirm the enormous potential economic impact of closing the gender gap. For example, the McKinsey Global Institute recently reported that $12 trillion could be added to the global economy by 2025 by advancing women’s equality. 

While we have come far in advancing women’s rights, there is still much to be done. Lawyers must play a key role in effecting the necessary changes. As we mark International Women’s Day today, the ABA rededicates itself to the goal of gender equality in the law and in all aspects of life.

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New ABA book offers guidance for attorneys considering a switch from Windows to Mac

March 6, 2018 3:52 PM by glynnj

CHICAGO, March 7, 2018 — As technological trends change and features such as usability, reliability and security become even more important, lawyers and law practices are contemplating a switch from Windows to Mac operating systems.

Macs in law is a trending topic at this week’s American Bar Association TECHSHOW 2018 in Chicago as an increasing number of attorneys use, or are curious about using, Macs. The event features a “MacTrack” with sessions dedicated to utilizing Macs in a legal setting, and exhibitors, such as Smile and WordRake, offer Mac-compatible software. The new book debuting at TECHSHOW, “Macs in Law: The Definitive Guide for the Mac-Curious, Windows-Using Attorney,” is a resource for any lawyer who wonders whether Macs might be a good fit for their legal practice. It answers specific questions about running a Mac-based law practice and offers a step-by-step action plan for switching to Macs.

Co-author Brett Burney is principal of Burney Consultants LLC in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and focuses on bridging the chasm between the legal and technology frontiers of electronic discovery. Burney is very active in the Mac-using lawyer community, working with lawyers who want to integrate Macs, iPhones and iPads into their practice. He is a frequent contributor to Legaltech News and speaks around the country on litigation support, e-discovery, Mac and iOS-related topics. Co-author Tom Lambotte is CEO of GlobalMacIT in Twinsburg, Ohio, the only company in the world that specializes in providing IT support to Mac-based law firms. His methods are based on nearly a decade of research, testing and real-world refinement of best practices. Lambotte is the author of “Hassle Free Mac IT Support for Law Firms” and “Legal Boost: Big Profits Through an IT Transformation.” He is a highly sought-after speaker at events such as the TECHSHOW and MacTrack Legal.

Title:                             “Macs in Law: The Definitive Guide for the Mac-Curious, Windows-Using Attorney”
Publisher:                    ABA Book Publishing
Pages:                         192
Product Code:             5110822
ISBN:                            978-164105-140-8
Size:                              192 pages, 6 x 9, paperback
Price:                            $79.95
Orders:                        800-285-2221 or shopaba.org

Editor’s note: Author interviews and review copies of this book are available by emailing Lauren Thompson at Lauren.Thompson@americanbar.org. If you publish a review of this book, please send tear sheets or a copy for our files to Lauren Thompson, ABA Book Publishing, 321 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60654.

Go to www.abalegalfactcheck.com for the ABA’s new feature that cites case and statutory law and other legal precedents to distinguish legal fact from fiction.

With more than 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is one of the largest voluntary professional membership organizations in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law. View our privacy statement online. Follow the latest ABA news at www.ambar.org/news and on Twitter @ABANews.

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ABA issues formal guidance to lawyers on limits of blogging and representation

March 6, 2018 10:05 AM by glynnj

CHICAGO, March 6, 2018 — The American Bar Association Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility has issued Formal Opinion 480 explaining the limitations the Model Rules of Professional Conduct place on lawyers who blog or engage in other social commentary related to a representation.

Under Model Rule 1.6(a) a lawyer has a duty of confidentiality. Supporting language to the model rule, known as a Comment, emphasizes that a fundamental principle of the legal profession is that a lawyer must not reveal any information relating to the representation without the informed consent of the client. The opinion notes that unless one of the exceptions to Model Rule 1.6(a) applies to a situation, the lawyer is barred for commenting publicly about the representation.

With more lawyers blogging and offering social commentary, Formal Opinion 480 is intended to provide guidance on the parameters of such activity. It also serves as guidance to state licensing agencies to help interpret their own rules of professional conduct. The opinion adds that the ethical rules of many jurisdictions establish confidentiality rules even before formal representation begins and well beyond the end of the professional relationship.

The opinion warns lawyers against using hypotheticals in blogging and social commentary when there is a “reasonable likelihood” that a third party might ascertain the identify or situation of the client from the facts in the hypothetical. “The salient point is that when a lawyer participates in public commentary that includes client information, if the lawyer has not secured the client’s informed consent or the disclosure is not otherwise impliedly authorized to carry out the representation, then the lawyer violates Rule 1.6(a),” the opinion said.

The ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility periodically issues ethics opinions to guide lawyers, courts and the public in interpreting and applying ABA model ethics rules to specific issues of legal practice, client-lawyer relationships and judicial behavior.

Formal Opinion 480 and other ABA ethics opinions are available on the ABA Center for Professional Responsibility website.

Go to www.abalegalfactcheck.com for the ABA’s feature that cites case and statutory law and other legal precedents to distinguish legal fact from fiction.

With more than 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is one of the largest voluntary professional membership organizations in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law. View our privacy statement on line. Follow the latest ABA news at www.americanbar.org/news and on Twitter @ABANews.

 

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ABA Legal Fact Check explores law behind “chain migration”

March 5, 2018 2:14 PM by glynnj

WASHINGTON, March 5, 2018 — In recent months, the term “chain migration” has been bandied about as part of the debate on U.S. immigration policy. Members of the administration have used the term in harsh and negative tones in proposals to upend current immigration law. Others note that the approach, also known as “family reunification,” has served the United States well for more than a half century.

A new ABA Legal Fact Check posted today explores “chain migration” and the law behind it. The history of the concept of reuniting immigrant families, which dates to the early 1920s, was embodied in the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952. The concept remains a major cornerstone of U.S. immigration policy today.

ABA Legal Fact Check seeks to help the media and public find dependable answers and explanations to sometimes confusing legal questions and issues. The URL for the site is www.abalegalfactcheck.com. Follow us on twitter @ABAFactCheck.

With more than 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is one of the largest voluntary professional membership organizations in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law. View our privacy statement online. Follow the latest ABA news at www.americanbar.org/news and on Twitter @ABANews.

 

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