ABA

American Bar Association Urges Senators to Reject ‘Deeply Concerning’ Immigration Bill

Jan 19, 2025

The American Bar Association (ABA) has called on U.S. senators to vote against the Laken Riley Act (S. 5), a bill that mandates the indefinite detention of noncitizens arrested for certain low-level offenses, without an option for bond. In a letter dated January 16, ABA President Bill Bay expressed concerns that the bill would undermine…
Diversity Holds Steady Nationally, but Top Law Schools See Decline in Black and Hispanic Students

Dec 20, 2024

National law student diversity remained stable this year, but enrollment of Black and Hispanic first-year students at the nation’s most prestigious law schools declined sharply, with Black enrollment falling 8% and Hispanic enrollment dropping 9%. Experts warn this could mark the beginning of a “cascade effect” caused by the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to…
Domestic Violence Victims Need Shield In Attorney Character And Fitness Reviews, ABA Says

Aug 8, 2024

Aspiring lawyers who are victims of domestic violence or sexual assault should not have to disclose any related legal or police involvement during the attorney admissions process, the American Bar Association (ABA) said on Tuesday. At its annual meeting in Chicago, the ABA’s policymaking body approved a resolution urging bar admission authorities to create a…
Bar Exam Alternatives, Long Out Of Favor With ABA, Make Inroads

May 10, 2024

The American Bar Association’s legal education arm may soon endorse lawyer licensing pathways that don’t involve passing the bar exam, potentially softening a pro-bar exam stance the organization has held for more than a century. While still in preliminary stages, such a move would represent a shift in the hard-line position on bar admission held…