Founded in 1920, the Criminal Justice Section of the American Bar Association has over 20,000 members including prosecutors, private defense counsel, appellate and trial judges, law professors, correctional and law enforcement personnel, law students, public defenders, and other criminal justice professionals. With its diverse, multi-disciplinary membership, the Criminal Justice Section is uniquely situated to address the pressing issues facing today's criminal justice system.

The Criminal Justice Section has primary responsibility for the American Bar Association's work on solutions to issues involving crime, criminal law, and the administration of criminal and juvenile justice. The Section plays an active leadership role in bringing the views of the ABA to the attention of federal and state courts, Congress, and other federal and state judicial, legislative, and executive policy-making bodies. The Section also serves as a resource to its members on issues in the forefront of change in the criminal justice arena.

To accomplish these goals, the Criminal Justice Section initiates studies and research; publishes reports, articles, and other widely-disseminated materials; reviews and makes recommendations concerning legislative, administrative, and judicial proposals relating to the criminal law and the administration of criminal justice; and authors amicus curiae briefs, filed with the United States Supreme Court, on behalf of the ABA in matters concerning the criminal law. As the primary voice on criminal justice issues within the ABA, the Section identifies emerging criminal justice issues which necessitate an appropriate response from the ABA, and coordinates the development of that response.

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Before the Criminal Justice Section was formed, the only record of a separate entity of the American Bar Association that was dedicated to the study of crime or criminal law was the Special Committee on Penal Laws and Prison Discipline. This Special Committee had a brief history, promulgating only two recommendations, both in 1906.  Although few in number, these recommendations were innovative for their time -- one that urged the creation of a laboratory in Washington to study professional criminals and the social evils that led to criminal behavior; and another that urged the creation of a Bureau in Washington that would house identification records of all persons charged of crimes in state and federal jurisdictions. By 1907, the Special Committee had gone out of existence. However, the competence and foresight of those earliest recommendations are the foundation of an enduring tradition of vision in the Criminal Justice Section.

For the period of 1909 to 1919, the Association relied on an outside organization, the American Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology, for analysis of criminal justice issues. Although it was independent of the Association, the Institute regularly met in conjunction with the ABA Annual Meetings, and was apparently considered as an "adopted section" of the Association.

On September 5, 1919, the Section of Criminal Law and Criminology was created by the Association at its 42nd Annual Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts. According to Association records, Ira E. Robinson of Charlestown, WV, was elected the Section's first Chairperson, and Roscoe Pound, Dean of the Harvard University Law School, was elected Chairman of the Council. Two Committees were created: one concerning Criminal Law, and another regarding Criminal Procedure. Even today, the Section's Committee on Rules of Criminal Procedure and Evidence meets several times a year to debate the issues as the founding members had.

ABA Criminal Justice Section
740 15th Street, NW, 10th Floor
Washington, DC 20005-1009

Main Tel: (202) 662-1500
Fax: (202) 662-1501

Email: crimjustice@abanet.org

Web: www.abanet.org/crimjust

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