ABA House of Delegates 2012 Midyear Meeting: Preliminary Agenda

PRELIMINARY AGENDA

 

AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION

HOUSE OF DELEGATES

2012 MIDYEAR MEETING

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

 

  

10A                 BAR ASSOCIATION OF PUERTO RICO                          CARLOS A. RODRIGUEZ-VIDAL, ABA MEMBER Urges the highest courts or legislative bodies of all states, territories and tribes charged with the administration of justice, admission to the bar, and regulation of the legal profession, to respect the organized bar’s ability and right to function independently and express its views freely.   100                 STANDING COMMITTEE ON PARALEGALS                         Grants approval and reapproval to several paralegal education programs, withdraws the approval of one program at the request of the institution, and extends the term of approval to several paralegal education programs.   101A               CRIMINAL JUSTICE SECTION Adopts the black letter ABA Criminal Justice Standards on Law Enforcement Access to Third Party Records, dated February 2012, which provide a framework through which legislatures, courts acting in their supervisory capacity, and administrative agencies can balance the needs of law enforcement and the interests of privacy, freedom of expression and social participation.   101B              CRIMINAL JUSTICE SECTION                         Urges governments to adopt pretrial discovery procedures requiring laboratories to produce comprehensive and comprehensible laboratory and forensic science reports for use in criminal trials that include a number of identified criteria.   101C              CRIMINAL JUSTICE SECTION                         Urges judges to consider a number of factors in determining the manner in which expert testimony should be presented to a jury and in instructing the jury in its evaluation of scientific testimony in criminal and delinquency proceedings.       101D              CRIMINAL JUSTICE SECTION                         Urges judges and lawyers to consider potential jurors’ understanding of general scientific principles, scientific principles relevant to forensic science, and preconceptions or bias with respect to forensic scientific principles in formulating jury voir dire questions.   101E               CRIMINAL JUSTICE SECTION                         COMMISSION ON HOMELESSNESS & POVERTY                         Urges the federal government to encourage public housing authorities to reevaluate their current rules regarding admission, termination, and additions to household to ensure that, while resident safety is protected, those rules do not unfairly punish persons with criminal records.   101F               CRIMINAL JUSTICE SECTION                         COMMISSION ON IMMIGRATION                         Supports legislation, policies and practices that allow equal and uniform access to therapeutic courts and problem-solving sentencing alternatives, such as drug treatment and anger management counseling, regardless of the custody or detention status of the individual.   101G              CRIMINAL JUSTICE SECTION                         COMMISSION ON DISABILITY RIGHTS                         Adopts the Model Jury Instructions for the Penalty Phase of Death Penalty Cases, dated February 2012, and urges its adoption by jurisdictions where the death penalty may be imposed.   102A               NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF COMMISSIONERS ON UNIFORM STATE LAWS Approves the Uniform Certificate of Title for Vessels Act, promulgated by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws in 2011, as an appropriate Act for those states desiring to adopt the specific substantive law suggested therein.   102B              NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF COMMISSIONERS ON UNIFORM STATE LAWS Approves the Uniform Electronic Legal Material Act, promulgated by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws in 2011, as an appropriate Act for those states desiring to adopt the specific substantive law suggested therein.   103                 SECTION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW                         Urges that federal, state, territorial, tribal and local courts consider and respect the data protection and privacy laws of any foreign sovereign, as well as the interests of any person who is subject to or benefits from such laws, with regard to data that is subject to preservation, disclosure or discovery. 104                 SECTION OF FAMILY LAW                         Adopts the ABA Model Relocation of Children Act, dated February 2012, and urges its adoption by state, territorial, tribal and local legislative bodies.   105                 STANDING COMMITTEE ON CLIENT PROTECTION                         STANDING COMMITTEE ON PROFESSIONAL DISCIPLINE                         Amends the Model Rules for Fee Arbitration, dated February 2012, to refine current practices in order to increase productivity, efficiency and fairness.   106A               SECTION OF LEGAL EDUCATION AND ADMISSIONS TO THE BAR                         Concurs in the action of the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar in making amendments to Standard 510 and Rules 3, 5 and 22 of the ABA Standards and Rules of Procedure for Approval of Law Schools, dated February 2012.   106B              SECTION OF LEGAL EDUCATION AND ADMISSIONS TO THE BAR                         Concurs in the action of the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar in making non-substantive clarifications to Standard 512 (Student Complaints) of the ABA Standards and Rules of Procedure for Approval of Law Schools, to which the House of Delegates previously concurred in August 2011.   107                 STANDING COMMITTEE ON PROFESSIONAL DISCIPLINE                         STANDING COMMITTEE ON CLIENT PROTECTION Reaffirms the black letter of the ABA Standards for Imposing Lawyer Sanctions, as adopted February 1986 and amended February 1992, and rescinds its adoption of the Commentary thereto.   108                 COMMISSION ON WOMEN IN THE PROFESSION                         COMMISSION ON RACIAL AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SECTOR LAWYERS DIVISION                         SECTION OF INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES                         SECTION OF STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT LAW                         STANDING COMMITTEE ON ARMED FORCES LAW                         NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN LAWYERS                         STANDING COMMITTEE ON LEGAL ASSISTANCE FOR MILITARY PERSONNEL                         Urges state and territorial bar admission authorities to adopt rules, regulations and procedures that accommodate the unique needs of military spouse attorneys, who move frequently in support of the nation’s defense. 109                 CENTER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS                         SECTION OF INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES                         Endorses the United Nations “Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework on Business and Human Rights and the Framework’s companion Guiding Principles for Implementing the Framework and similar principles promulgated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and urges governments, the private sector and the legal community to integrate them into their respective operations and practices.   110                 SECTION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW                         Supports in principle the long-established precedent that patent infringement must be proven by a preponderance of the evidence, and the fact that a product or process accused of infringing a patent-in-suit is itself separately patented does not alter the burden of proof, or create a presumption of non-infringement.   111                 COMMISSION ON DISABILITY RIGHTS                         CRIMINAL JUSTICE SECTION                         GENERAL PRACTICE, SOLO AND SMALL FIRM DIVISION                         SECTION OF INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES                         COMMISSION ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY                         COUNCIL FOR RACIAL AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY IN THE                         EDUCATIONAL PIPELINE                         STANDING COMMITTEE ON THE DELIVERY OF LEGAL SERVICES                         UTAH STATE BAR                         BAR ASSOCIATION OF BALTIMORE CITY                         NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION                         COMMISSION ON LAWYER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS                         STATE BAR OF WISCONSIN                         COMMISSION ON WOMEN IN THE PROFESSION Urges entities that administer a law school admission test to provide appropriate accommodations for a test taker with a disability to best ensure that the exam results reflect what the exam is designed to measure and not the test taker’s disability.   112                 NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF STATE TRIAL JUDGES Amends the Model Time Standards for State Courts, dated February 2012, by adding a case type under the criminal category for local ordinances and by extending the length of time for the completion of the administration of estates.    113                 STANDING COMMITTEE ON LEGAL AID & INDIGENT DEFENDANTS Adopts the ABA Standards for Language Access in Courts, dated February 2012, and urges federal and state legislative and executive branches to provide adequate funding to courts and other adjudicatory tribunals to fully implement language access services.   114                 COMMISSION ON DOMESTIC AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE                         CRIMINAL JUSTICE SECTION Urges the Federal Bureau of Investigation to expand the definition of rape in the Uniform Crime Reporting Summary Reporting Program to include all forms of non-consensual sexual penetration, regardless of gender, orifice penetrated, mode of penetration, or presence of force.   115                 GENERAL PRACTICE, SOLO AND SMALL FIRM DIVISION Supports and encourages the continued efforts of solo, small firm and general practice lawyers to provide access to justice by delivery of legal services to those in need.   300*                SECTION OF LITIGATION Adopts the Standards of Conduct for Experts Retained by Lawyers, dated February 2012, and urges counsel to incorporate the Standards in lawyer engagement agreements with experts.   301*                SECTION OF ANTITRUST LAW Supports the principle that the award of damages or injunctive relief under federal or state antitrust and competition law should require a finding of injury not just to the plaintiff or plaintiffs, but also to competition itself.  

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