ABOUT THE ABA CENTER FOR PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY
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Mission:
The ABA Center for Professional Responsibility advances the public interest by promoting and encouraging high ethical conduct and professionalism by lawyers and judges. The Center provides leadership and guidance to the legal profession and the judiciary by developing, interpreting and promoting the implementation of policies and standards that govern the conduct and regulation of lawyers and judges, including examining the challenges and opportunities of today’s global legal environment, and by producing scholarly and other resources. These efforts seek to assure that lawyers and judges perform their duties in a manner that advances respect for the rule of law, the legal process, the legal profession and the judiciary.
The independence of the legal profession and the professional excellence of its members are the cornerstones of the American Bar Association Center for Professional Responsibility. Since 1978, the Center has provided national leadership and vision in developing and interpreting standards and scholarly resources in legal ethics, professional regulation, competence, professionalism and client protection mechanisms. The Center's devotion to assuring the highest standards of conduct by lawyers and judges and to enhancing the profession's role in serving and protecting the public interest is underscored by its vigilance to meet the challenges of an evolving society.
Through its coordinating efforts, the Center promotes discussion and resolution of pressing issues of professional responsibility and fosters communication among diverse bar organizations and the various agencies that supervise and regulate the conduct of lawyers and judges. Further, the Center brings together the vast information resources and expertise of its constituent entities and affiliate organizations.
Center members and legal staff have developed prominence in professional consultation and educational programming by participating in a wide range of national, state and local educational initiatives planned by the ABA, government agencies, academic institutions and other entities devoted to the law. The Center is the core entity within the ABA to enhance public confidence in the profession by improving the ethics, competence and professionalism of lawyers and judges and by strengthening the accountability and effectiveness of the profession's regulatory structure.
Contact us for more information about the Center or find out how to become a Member.
