The ABA House of Delegates passed two Section-sponsored resolutions at the 2003 ABA Annual Meeting.

Report #112A supports state and territorial laws and court decisions that permit the establishment of legal parent-child relationships through joint adoptions and second-parent adoptions by unmarried persons who are functioning as a child's parents when such adoptions are in the best interests of the child.

Report #112B opposes efforts to repeal the sunset provision of the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 and urges Congress to conduct a thorough review of the implementation of the powers granted to the Executive Branch under the
Act before considering any extension or expansion of surveillance authority under the Act.

The Section also co-sponsored the following resolutions:

Report #10A, urging law enforcement officials to videotape the entirety of all interrogations of crime suspects held at police precincts, courthouses, detention centers and other places where suspects are held for questioning and urges state and territorial legislatures to enact rules of criminal procedure for this practice. The resolution was withdrawn.

Report #10C, opposing the text of the "Racial Privacy Initiative" or any similar measure which prohibits any public entity from collecting or sorting any data on the basis of race or ethnicity. The resolution was approved as amended.

Report #101A, adopting the black letter ABA Criminal Justice Standards on Collateral Sanctions and Discretionary Disqualification of Convicted Persons as an addition
to the Third Edition American Bar Association Standards,which address issues related to legal disabilities that flow from a criminal conviction over and above the sentence imposed by the court. The resolution was approved as revised.

Report #101B, urging state, local and territorial bar associations, judges, prosecutors, defenders and police to address disparate treatment of racial and ethnic minority youth in the justice system and encourages state and local bar associations and law enforcement to instill public confidence in the fairness of the justice system by ensuring the fair treatment of all youth. The resolution was approved.

Report #110, adopting revisions to the Standards for the Establishment and Operation of Ombudsman Offices, dated August 2003. The resolution was withdrawn.

Report #119A, amending Rule 1.6(b) of the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct to permit the lawyer to reveal information relating to the representation of a client to the extent the lawyer reasonably believes necessary and to amend the related Comment to Rule 1.6. The resolution was approved.

Report #119B, amending Rule 1.13 of the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct to require the lawyer of an organizational client to report certain violations of law to higher organizational authority in certain circumstances unless reasonably believed not to be necessary in the best interest of the organization. The resolution was approved as amended.

Report #119C, adopting corporate governance policies and related governance practices which involve structural and procedural reforms designed to enhance the independence and resources of outside directors or public corporation, increase the flow of material information and analysis to those directors, and enhance the ability of the lawyers representing public corporations to exercise and bear independent professional judgment. The resolution was approved.

Report #121C, opposing legislation to repeal the federal Section 8 low-income
housing voucher program or similar legislative proposals that would eliminate the present funding structure based on actual costs for the number of vouchers used and replace it with a state-administered block grant system and urges state, local and territorial bar associations to promote a better understanding of the Section 8 low-income housing voucher program. The resolution was approved.

Report #301, calling upon Congress and the Executive Branch to ensure that all defendants in any military commission trials that may take place have the opportunity to receive the zealous and effective assistance of Civilian Defense Counsel. The resolution was approved.

Read about all of the reports considered by the House of Delegates at the 2003 ABA Annual Meeting.