American Bar Association facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids
American Bar Association

Founded	August 21, 1878; 146 years ago (1878-08-21)
Type	Bar association
Headquarters	321 North Clark Street Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
President	Mary L. Smith
Executive director & COO	Alpha M. Brady

The American Bar Association (ABA) is a group of lawyers and law students in the United States. It is a voluntary organization, meaning people choose to join it. The ABA was started in 1878.

Its main goals are to set high standards for law schools. It also creates rules for how lawyers should act ethically. In 2017, about 194,000 lawyers were members. The ABA's main office is in Chicago, Illinois. It also has an office in Washington, D.C..

History of the ABA
How the ABA is Led
Rules for Lawyers
Approving Law Schools
- Concerns About Law School Approval
Learning for Lawyers
Special Groups and Committees
Rating Judges
- Ratings During the Trump Administration
Criticisms of the ABA
- Race and Diversity
- Policy Positions
Recent ABA Presidents
Annual Meeting
Images for kids
See Also

History of the ABA

This U.S. postage stamp celebrated the ABA's 75th birthday in 1953.

The ABA was founded on August 21, 1878. Seventy-five lawyers from 20 states and Washington, D.C., met in Saratoga Springs, New York, to start the group.

Back then, the legal profession was very different. Most lawyers worked alone and learned through apprenticeships. There were no national rules for how lawyers should behave. There was also no national group for lawyers to discuss important legal issues.

The ABA's first goal was to improve the study of law. It also wanted to make justice fairer and create similar laws across the country.

In 1918, the first women joined the ABA. They were Judge Mary Belle Grossman and Mary Florence Lathrop.

For a long time, the ABA did not allow African-American members. This led to the creation of the National Lawyers Guild in 1937. In 1943, after some members threatened to leave, the ABA finally allowed Francis E. Rivers to join. This marked the start of the organization becoming integrated.

Jill Wine-Banks became the ABA's first woman executive director, serving from 1987 to 1990. Later, Roberta Cooper Ramo was the first female president of the ABA from 1995 to 1996.

In 2016, the ABA added a new rule about ethics. It stops lawyers from using sexist or racist language. It also bans discrimination based on age in ABA activities.

In 2019, the ABA changed its membership system. This was to help with fewer members joining. The new system charges lawyers more as they gain more years of experience.

How the ABA is Led

The ABA makes its official decisions, called "policy," on legal and national issues. These decisions are voted on by its House of Delegates, which has 589 members. The Board of Governors, with 44 members, can act for the ABA when the House of Delegates is not meeting.

The ABA president is the main leader of the group. They are elected for a one-year term. The executive director is appointed and stays longer. They work as the chief operating officer. A new president takes office at the end of the ABA's annual meeting in August. This is also when the main meetings of the House of Delegates happen. The annual meeting also offers educational programs and speakers for all members.

In 2010, Jack L. Rives became the executive director. In March 2023, Alpha M. Brady took over as ABA Executive Director/COO after Rives retired. She had worked at the ABA since 1988.

Rules for Lawyers

One important job of the ABA is to create rules for how lawyers should act. These are called ethical standards. The first set of rules was made in 1908. They have been updated many times since then.

The current rules are called the Model Rules of Professional Conduct. Most U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and four territories use these rules. California and Puerto Rico are the only places that do not fully use the ABA's rules. However, parts of California's rules come from the ABA models.

Approving Law Schools

The United States Department of Education recognizes the ABA's Council on Legal Education. This council is an official group that approves law schools in the U.S. Law schools approved by the ABA are called "ABA-approved." This means they meet the ABA's standards.

ABA approval is very important for law schools. It also affects whether a graduate can practice law in a state. In most U.S. states, you must graduate from an ABA-approved law school. This is required to take that state's bar exam. Even lawyers who want to practice in another state often need this approval.

Law students at ABA-approved schools can join the ABA for free. Students at non-ABA approved law schools can join as associate members.

In 2022, the ABA Council voted to remove a rule. This rule required law schools to ask students for their LSAT scores. Now, law schools can still ask for these scores if they want to.

Concerns About Law School Approval

The ABA's process for approving law schools has faced some criticism. People have worried that law schools might not be sharing accurate job information for graduates. This is especially important because students often have large student loan debts.

Some people feel that the ABA's rules for law schools are too old or too expensive. They think these rules might make tuition costs go up. After many lawyers lost their jobs in 2009, questions were raised. People wondered if the ABA was too easy in approving new law schools.

A group called Law School Transparency asked the ABA to provide better information. They wanted clear statistics about job prospects and salaries for graduates. In 2011 and 2012, the ABA updated its approval process. It added penalties for schools that gave wrong information about jobs. It also asked for more details about how many graduates passed the bar exam and found jobs.

Since 2014, the ABA has required law schools to share more information. This includes details about admissions, tuition, faculty, class sizes, and job outcomes. For example, 70 percent of the class of 2015 found full-time jobs requiring a law degree within 10 months of graduating.

In 2019, the ABA changed the rule for how many graduates must pass the bar exam. Before, 75% of graduates had to pass within 5 years. The new rule requires 75% to pass within 2 years. Supporters say this will help students be better prepared. Opponents worried it might make it harder for some students to get into law school.

In 1995, the U.S. Department of Justice said the ABA broke a law about fair competition. The ABA agreed to a settlement. In 2006, the ABA admitted it broke the agreement and paid a fine.

Learning for Lawyers

The American Bar Association Center for Continuing Legal Education (ABA-CLE) helps lawyers keep learning. It offers classes and resources to help lawyers stay updated. Experts from different ABA groups help create these programs.

Special Groups and Committees

The ABA has different commissions and committees that focus on specific issues.

The Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity started in 2007.
The Criminal Justice Section works on the U.S. criminal justice system. Its Corrections Committee helps people returning to society after prison. They encourage law schools to help these individuals.
The Commission on Women in the Profession studies the role of women in law. In 2017, their report showed that women make up 36 percent of lawyers. This was a 6 percent increase in ten years. Women also make up almost half of law school graduates. However, fewer women are partners in law firms or general counsels in big companies. The commission also researches the experiences of women of color in the legal field.

Rating Judges

For many years, the ABA has helped evaluate people nominated to become federal judges. They give nominees a rating from "not qualified" to "well qualified." The ABA's Committee on the Federal Judiciary started rating Supreme Court nominees in 1956.

This committee has members from different parts of the country. The ABA's main leaders are not involved in this work. The committee works secretly. They usually evaluate about 60 nominees each year.

Nominees are rated as "well qualified," "qualified," or "not qualified." If the president chooses a nominee, the committee shares its rating with the White House and the Senate.

The process for Supreme Court nominees is a bit different. Their legal writings are studied by law professors.

Some people have said the ABA's ratings might have a bias. For example, some judges nominated by Republican presidents received lower ratings. Judges with similar backgrounds nominated by Democratic presidents received higher ratings. The ABA says its evaluations do not consider politics or party.

In 2001, President George W. Bush stopped sharing names with the ABA before announcing them. The ABA still rated nominees, but only after their names were public. President Obama went back to sharing names in advance. President Trump returned to Bush's policy.

A study in 2012 found that nominees from Democratic presidents were 15 percent more likely to get a "well qualified" rating. This was compared to similar candidates from Republican presidents. However, a 2010 study found that judges rated "well qualified" did not necessarily perform better.

Ratings During the Trump Administration

The ABA's ratings received more attention during the Trump administration. Several of President Trump's nominees were rated "not qualified." Some were unanimously rated "not qualified," which was rare.

Some critics said that members of the committee let their personal political views affect their ratings. They claimed committee members asked inappropriate questions. Senator Ted Cruz said the ABA is a political group and should not be seen as fair. The ABA stated that it does not consider politics or party when evaluating candidates.

Criticisms of the ABA

The ABA has faced criticism for different reasons over its history. These include past issues with race, its diversity, and its policy positions.

Race and Diversity

The ABA has been criticized for racism in the past. In 1912, William H. Lewis, an African-American Assistant Attorney General, was initially accepted but then denied membership because of his race. This policy changed only in 1943. However, no African-American lawyers joined until 1950. In 1925, African-American lawyers formed the National Bar Association because the ABA would not allow them to be members. Today, the National Bar Association has over 60,000 members.

Policy Positions

In recent years, some people have criticized the ABA for taking stands on political topics. This led to the creation of other lawyer groups, like the National Lawyers Association.

Mark A. Cohen wrote that the ABA has not kept up with the changing needs of modern society. He also criticized the ABA for opposing changes that would make legal services more affordable. He said that 80 percent of Americans cannot afford legal help. He believes the ABA has not embraced new ways to provide legal services.

Recent ABA Presidents

2003–2004: Dennis W. Archer (first African-American male president)
2004–2005: Robert J. Grey Jr.
2005–2006: Michael S. Greco (first foreign-born president)
2006–2007: Karen J. Mathis
2007–2008: William H. Neukom
2008–2009: H. Thomas Wells Jr.
2009–2010: Carolyn B. Lamm
2010-2011: Stephen N. Zack (first Hispanic American president)
2011–2012: Wm. T. (Bill) Robinson III
2012–2013: Laurel G. Bellows
213–2014: James R. Silkenat
2014–2015: William C. Hubbard
2015–2016: Paulette Brown (first African-American female president)
2016–2017: Linda Klein
2017–2018: Hilarie Bass
2018–2019: Bob Carlson
2019–2020: Judy Perry Martinez
2020–2021: Patricia Lee Refo
2021–2022: Reginald M. Turner
2022–2023: Deborah Enix-Ross

Annual Meeting

Every August, the ABA holds an annual meeting in different cities. This meeting includes speeches, classes for lawyers, and gatherings. The ABA also announces the winner of its highest honor, the American Bar Association Medal, at this meeting.

Images for kids

Russell Frisby, a leader in the ABA's Administrative Law section, in 2008.