Section Rolls-Out New Membership Growth Initiative: The Race to 10K

I am pleased to join with Cheryl Jacobs and Vincent Aprile, the Co-Chairs of the Section Membership and Awards Committee, in announcing a new campaign, The Race to 10K, which seeks to bring 10,000 lawyers into the Criminal Justice Section by August 31, 2008. Attorney and law student membership has been growing at a fast pace during the last two and a half years, moving the Section toward record membership numbers in both categories.  As recently as May 2005, the Criminal Justice Section had 6,241 attorneys. The current attorney membership stands at 8,443 attorneys and we believe that by the end of this fiscal year we can bring that number to 10,000 lawyer members. 

This Section-wide endeavor will require the help of every council member, every committee chair and every member of the Criminal Justice Section to reach out to criminal defense lawyers, prosecutors, judges, and academics inside and outside the ABA and ask them to join our dynamic section. The Criminal Justice Section seeks to be the unified voice for criminal justice in America. Greater lawyer membership numbers for the ABA Criminal Justice Section will assist the Section to more effectively serve as the unified voice on criminal justice matters. 

How can members help?  Criminal Justice Section members can utilize and adapt sample letters to send to their colleagues and associates that are not members of the ABA Criminal Justice Section and ask them to join us. One letter is for individuals who are not ABA members  and one letter is for individuals who are ABA members, but not of the Criminal Justice Section. (A summary of member benefit and enrollment form can be included in your letter.) The letters should be sent on June 1, 2008 or after because after June 1, new ABA members receive membership during the remaining months of this fiscal year ending in August and all of the next year beginning in September.  

Thank you in advance for supporting this important Section program.  We look forward to celebrating a successful Race to 10K.

Stephen Saltzburg, Chair of the ABA Criminal Justice Section

Membership in the ABA Criminal Justice Section brings with it many benefits and privileges. With its diverse membership of judges, private criminal defense attorneys, prosecutors, public defenders, academics, and other criminal justice professionals, the Section is uniquely situated to bring all the various actors to the table to address today's most pressing criminal justice issues. Members receive:

• Criminal Justice Magazine, a quarterly publication filled with practice-oriented, "how-to" articles, coverage of criminal law and justice policy developments, and Section news. Members can view the full-text of articles, departments, and columns from current and past issues.
• Priority invitations to CLE programs, with registration and course materials offered at reduced rates to Section members
• Ability to create, join, or contribute to Section discussions on the Internet
• Access to important practice resources and Publications at Section-member discounts
• An opportunity to provide leadership in the field through participation on Committees and special projects. Committee membership is available free of charge to Criminal Justice Section members.
• Advance notice of new developments and updates in your specialty area, through E-News and other email notices
• The Criminal Justice Section Newsletter, to keep you informed of opportunities for involvement in Section activities. Certain committees also offer newsletters on specific subject areas, all at no additional cost
• Opportunities to organize and speak at CLE programs in your area of specialty
• The chance to mentor law students and younger lawyers interested in pursuing criminal law as a career
• Enhancement of your professional skills through programs offered year-round, including a Criminal Justice track during the ABA's Annual Meeting
• Expansion of your colleague and referral network. Members of the Criminal Justice Section include some of the top names in the field, as well as those who have only an occasional but pressing criminal law case

Law student membership brings with it the opportunity to become involved with the Section from the start of a career in criminal justice, including serving as a Student Liaison to a Committee.

 

Membership Categories

There are three types of memberships in the Criminal Justice Section:

Regular
Persons who are licensed to practice law in at least one jurisdiction subject to the laws of the United States (any state, territory, or possession of the U.S.).

Associate
Persons who hold a degree in criminal justice or criminology, or serve full-time as any of the following: law enforcement officers; criminal investigators; parole, probation, pretrial service, or correctional officers; and other justice system personnel directly involved in the administration of criminal justice in a professional capacity.

Regular/Associate Enrollment Form for Current ABA Members

Law Student
Persons currently enrolled in law school.

Join the Criminal Justice Section Online!

If you are already an ABA member, please enroll here.  

If you are not a member of the ABA, please click here to Join online now.

To enroll over the phone: 800-285-2221;
Fax: 312-988-5528; TDD: 312-988-5168

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