Section News

• Section Concludes Successful 2005 ABA Midyear Meeting
• Hon. Abner J. Mikva to Receive 2005 ABA Thurgood Marshall Award
• Section to Host Spring Council Meeting at Howard University School of Law
• Register Early for 2005 ABA Annual Meeting
  

The ABA House of Delegates approved a Section-sponsored patients' rights resolution at the 2005 ABA Midyear Meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah.  The resolution opposes governmental actions and policies that interfere with patients' ability to receive from their healthcare providers all of the relevant and medically accurate information necessary for fully informed healthcare decisionmaking and information with respect to their medically appropriate care, as defined by the applicable medical standard of care, whether or not a provider chooses to offer such care.  ABA President-elect and former Section Chair Michael S. Greco spoke in favor of the resolution before the House of Delegates.

The Section also co-sponsored successful resolutions addressing veterans' benefits; the current atrocities in Darfur, Sudan; jailhouse testimony; standards of practice for defense counsel; and other issues.

Section co-sponsored programs at the Midyear Meeting included one on the United States' responsibility to Indian trust beneficiaries, and another on slavery and post-slavery redress.  Panelists of the programs included Tex Hall, President of the National Congress of American Indians, and Professor Charles Ogletree of Harvard Law School.

Former Section Chair, Hon. Cruz Reynoso, was honored with the 2005 Robert F. Drinan Award for Distinguished Service to the Section.  The award recognizes individuals whose sustained commitment to the Section has advanced its mission of providing leadership to the legal profession in protecting and advancing human rights, civil liberties, and social justice.

• Section-sponsored resolution on patients' rights
• All resolutions co-sponsored by the Section
• Text of Service Award presented to Hon. Cruz Reynoso
  

Hon. Abner J. Mikva of Chicago, Ill., will receive the ABA's 2005 Thurgood Marshall Award, to be presented on Saturday, Aug. 6, at a dinner being held during the ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago.

"We are privileged to honor Judge Abner J. Mikva with this year's Thurgood Marshall Award," said Section Chair Stephen F. Hanlon.  "His service to his country, his state, and his profession has truly been remarkable."

A graduate of the University of Chicago School of Law, Mikva is being recognized for his outstanding commitment to the preservation and expansion of civil rights for all Americans.  Mikva has served as Chief Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, five terms in Congress representing Chicago and surrounding areas, and in the Illinois House of Representatives, also for five terms.  More recently, Mikva served as White House Counsel during the Clinton Administration.

The Thurgood Marshall Award recognizes long-term contributions to the advancement of civil rights, civil liberties, and human rights in the United States.  For more information about the award, the dinner, or this year's recipient contact the Section office (tel.: 202/662-1030) or visit the Section's website at www.abanet.org/irr.

• Thurgood Marshall Award Home Page

The Section will hold its Spring Council Meeting on Friday and Saturday, Apr. 1-2, 2005, at the Howard University School of Law, 2900 Van Ness St., N.W., Washington, D.C.  The business session of the meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, and conclude at noon on Saturday. The meeting is open to all Section members and Howard law students and faculty.  Section and Committee leaders in the Washington area, particularly, are encouraged to attend.

On Friday at noon, the Section will sponsor the first of a new Section-sponsored "Speaker Series." The April 1 program will feature a round table discussion with Section leaders highlighting their involvement in landmark civil rights and civil liberties cases. Panelists include Sarah Weddington (Roe v. Wade), John D. Payton (Grutter v. Bollinger, affirmative action), and Marcia D. Greenberger (Jackson v. Birmingham Board of Education, Title IX).

Section leadership, including Council members, will be available to talk to law students about their legal careers and experiences with the law. We encourage all area law students to attend the meeting and afternoon program.

Please note that the weekend will be particularly busy, as many people will be in town for the National Cherry Blossom Festival.  We therefore encourage you to make your hotel reservations soon if you plan to attend.

For more information about the meeting, or for directions to the law school, contact the Section office (tel.: 202/662-1030).

• Section Officers and Council Members
• Section Committee Leaders

Early registration for the 2005 ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago is now open.

The ABA is offering a variety of registration options.  Attendees can purchase an all-access badge for $440, which includes admittance to all governance meetings and all CLE and non-CLE programs.  For those who do not plan on attending many CLE programs, a registration fee of $165 includes admittance to all governance meetings and non-CLE programs.

Individual program tickets can be purchased for $75, with discounted program tickets available to government lawyers and judges for $35.  Law students will be admitted to CLE programs at no additional charge.

As a reminder, registration fees increase after May 27, 2005.

• 2005 ABA Annual Meeting Home Page