Page 189 - 2019 - Leaders in Legal Business (n)
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current policies governing the regulation of the legal profession.11 The Center does this in an effort
to hold lawyers and judges to the highest standards, and to protect clients who are not as well-
versed.
The Center for Professional Responsibility’s Policy Implementation Committee also
assists states with the enactment of changes to the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct.
The Canons of Professional Ethics, adopted in 1908, were the first national standards for legal
ethics. The ABA Model Rules of Professional Responsibility were adopted by the ABA House of
Delegates in 1983 and, with amendments, continues to serve as a model for the ethics rules in each
state.
The Association’s commitment to judicial independence is consistent with raising the
standards of the legal profession. As the National Center for State Courts said, “Justice depends
upon the ability of judges to render impartial decisions based upon open-minded and unbiased
consideration of the facts and the law in each case.”12 The ABA has a number of committees and
task forces dedicated to preserving judicial independence; as such, recent ABA presidents have
made the creation and maintenance of fair and impartial courts a priority. It is crucial to continue
and support efforts to enhance public understanding about the role of the judiciary and the
importance of impartial courts within the American democracy. The ABA Standing Committee on
Public Education and the ABA Division for Public Education serve both ABA members and non-
member attorneys by asking every practicing lawyer to further the public’s understanding of the
legal community and the American justice system.13
Furthermore, in an effort to improve legal representation, the ABA is also committed to
providing access to justice for all through the encouragement of pro bono legal services. Lawyers
perform more pro bono service than any other profession. The ABA established its first Legal Aid
Committee in 1920 with statesman Charles Evans Hughes as its first chair.14
It is interesting to note that the ABA’s biggest annual lobbying event, ABA Day, which is
held every spring in Washington, D.C., was founded more than three decades ago to protect the
Legal Services Corporation, the single largest funder of civil legal aid for low-income Americans
in the nation, and to save it from being abolished.
Today, the ABA Division for Legal Services provides staff support for 10 ABA committees
and commissions that promote access to justice for all and improvements in the delivery of legal
services. These committees and commissions cover access to justice for poor and moderate-income
people, and issues affecting the legal profession.15
Goal III: Eliminate Bias and Enhance Diversity.
Early gender statistics for lawyers are hard to come by, but we know that women’s
participation in the legal profession has grown dramatically since Mary B. Grossman of Cleveland,
Ohio, and Mary Florence Lathrop of Denver, Colorado, joined as the ABA’s first two women
members in 1918. Women represented 3 percent of the legal population in 1951, and today female
attorneys account for 34 percent of the profession and 33 percent of Association membership.
11 Id.
12 NATIONAL CENTER FOR STATE COURTS, http://www.ncsc.org/Topics/Judicial-Officers/Judicial-Independence/Resource-Guide.aspx.
13 See AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION, DIVISION FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION, ABOUT US,
http://www.americanbar.org/groups/public_education/about_us.html.
14 Supra note 2.
15 See AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION, DIVISION FOR LEGAL SERVICES, ABOUT US,
http://www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_services/about_us.html.
174
to hold lawyers and judges to the highest standards, and to protect clients who are not as well-
versed.
The Center for Professional Responsibility’s Policy Implementation Committee also
assists states with the enactment of changes to the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct.
The Canons of Professional Ethics, adopted in 1908, were the first national standards for legal
ethics. The ABA Model Rules of Professional Responsibility were adopted by the ABA House of
Delegates in 1983 and, with amendments, continues to serve as a model for the ethics rules in each
state.
The Association’s commitment to judicial independence is consistent with raising the
standards of the legal profession. As the National Center for State Courts said, “Justice depends
upon the ability of judges to render impartial decisions based upon open-minded and unbiased
consideration of the facts and the law in each case.”12 The ABA has a number of committees and
task forces dedicated to preserving judicial independence; as such, recent ABA presidents have
made the creation and maintenance of fair and impartial courts a priority. It is crucial to continue
and support efforts to enhance public understanding about the role of the judiciary and the
importance of impartial courts within the American democracy. The ABA Standing Committee on
Public Education and the ABA Division for Public Education serve both ABA members and non-
member attorneys by asking every practicing lawyer to further the public’s understanding of the
legal community and the American justice system.13
Furthermore, in an effort to improve legal representation, the ABA is also committed to
providing access to justice for all through the encouragement of pro bono legal services. Lawyers
perform more pro bono service than any other profession. The ABA established its first Legal Aid
Committee in 1920 with statesman Charles Evans Hughes as its first chair.14
It is interesting to note that the ABA’s biggest annual lobbying event, ABA Day, which is
held every spring in Washington, D.C., was founded more than three decades ago to protect the
Legal Services Corporation, the single largest funder of civil legal aid for low-income Americans
in the nation, and to save it from being abolished.
Today, the ABA Division for Legal Services provides staff support for 10 ABA committees
and commissions that promote access to justice for all and improvements in the delivery of legal
services. These committees and commissions cover access to justice for poor and moderate-income
people, and issues affecting the legal profession.15
Goal III: Eliminate Bias and Enhance Diversity.
Early gender statistics for lawyers are hard to come by, but we know that women’s
participation in the legal profession has grown dramatically since Mary B. Grossman of Cleveland,
Ohio, and Mary Florence Lathrop of Denver, Colorado, joined as the ABA’s first two women
members in 1918. Women represented 3 percent of the legal population in 1951, and today female
attorneys account for 34 percent of the profession and 33 percent of Association membership.
11 Id.
12 NATIONAL CENTER FOR STATE COURTS, http://www.ncsc.org/Topics/Judicial-Officers/Judicial-Independence/Resource-Guide.aspx.
13 See AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION, DIVISION FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION, ABOUT US,
http://www.americanbar.org/groups/public_education/about_us.html.
14 Supra note 2.
15 See AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION, DIVISION FOR LEGAL SERVICES, ABOUT US,
http://www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_services/about_us.html.
174
