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| Release: | Immediate |
| Media contact: | Lynne Van Buskirk |
| Phone: | 312/988-6136 |
| Email: | vanbuskl@staff.abanet.org |
| Online: | www.abanews.org |
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CRITICAL NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEGAL ISSUES
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CHICAGO, June 28, 2006 – Birthright citizenship, international war criminal prosecution, disaster preparedness, and legal challenges surrounding intellectual property law and evolving technology are just a sample of the cutting-edge topics to be discussed at the American Bar Association 2006 Annual Meeting in Honolulu Aug. 3 - 8. Headquarters for the meeting will be the Hawaii Convention Center. Among featured speakers is U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy who will speak at the International Rule of Law Luncheon, Aug. 5, noon – 2 p.m. at the Hawaii Convention Center, and again later that day at the ABA Annual Meeting Opening Assembly, 4 – 6 p.m. at the Sheraton Waikiki. To register for the Annual Meeting, or for more information, including a complete list of programs, visit http://www.abanet.org/media/meetings/annual06.shtml. Accredited reporters are welcome to cover the meeting for free. Credential guidelines are at www.abanews.org/credentials.html. ANNUAL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS Thursday, Aug. 3 “The Legal Status of Native Hawaiians” “Military Tribunals Begin: Must Fairness Give Way to National Security” will explore the issue of military tribunals from several perspectives, including the need for national security and the enhancements of the U.S. proceedings over similar trials such as the international tribunals in Rwanda and Yugoslavia where the prosecution could appeal “not guilty” verdicts. Also addressed will be restrictions on the ability of counsel to communicate with clients, the possible exclusion of defendants from portions of a trial and the evidence rules adopted for use in the tribunals. “Hawaii: A Look at the Legal Profession in a Multiethnic Community” features leaders of the legal profession in Hawaii offering their insights on how the state’s multiethnic society affects the practice of law. Find out what practicing law is like when no “majority” exists and when lawyers of color lead the major law firms and bar associations.
“Migration in the Interdependent World” “Federal Land Use and the Environment under the Roberts' Court” “Prosecuting the World’s Worst War Criminals: From Sierra Leone to The Hague,” This moderated roundtable discussion will outline the changes that took place over the last year at the International Criminal Court, the Special Court of Sierra Leone and the Iraqi Special Tribunal, and place them in the context of U.S. governmental policy. “Climate Change & International M&A Transactions: Getting the Deal Done Right” “Getting Older Just Got Harder: Healthcare Challenges for the Elderly” will focus on practical challenges faced in servicing the aging population, including physical and procedural accommodations, the creative planning necessary to deal with the special issues of the elderly, such as Medicare and the new Part D, Medicaid and long-term care insurance, and the nuts-and-bolts of planning for end-of-life decisions. “Executive Compensation: Where is the Disclosure Going?” “Disaster Preparedness – Continuity of Courtroom Operations in a Crisis” will be a panel discussion about maintaining courtroom operations when a natural or man-made disaster strikes. Topics to be discussed include whether a physical location of the court must be moved, and the policies and procedures needed for fast and efficient implementation, security operations, movement of case files and movement of in-custody defendants. “Annual Review of Supreme Court Decisions – Criminal Cases,” a panel of experienced appellate and criminal lawyers and judges will review and discuss the criminal law and related decisions issued by the U.S. Supreme Court during the most recent term. “Hot Topics in Toxic and Environmental Law” “Gonzales v. Oregon—Lessons for States, Terminally III and Schiavo Patients” will look into Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act, upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in the 2006 Gonzales v. State of Oregon case. The legal, medical, ethical, religious and social implications of the Supreme Court's ruling will be addressed in this 90-minute roundtable discussion led by esteemed panel members from these advocacy fields. “Birthright Citizenship and the 14th Amendment” “Strategic Options Impacting International Assignments: Immigration Law Mechanisms Facilitating International Business Assignments between the United States and the Asia Pacific” “Brand Hawaii in the Global Entertainment Markets: The Tropics Hot Topics”
“The Bankruptcy Reform Act of 2005 One Year Later: An Update on the Impact of its Business-Related Provisions” “Asian-Pacific Mediation Styles: Lessons and Implications for the Rest of Us” “Chief Justice Rehnquist: An Interactive Retrospective” will explore the contributions and legacy of Chief Justice William Rehnquist in the form of a mock argument, a panel discussion and audience participation. Speakers will include former Solicitor Generals Drew E. Days III and Kenneth W. Starr, as well as Rehnquist’s former law clerks Maureen E. Mahoney and Jeffrey L. Bleich. “Deferred Prosecution Agreements: An Effective Way to Punish Corporate Misconduct or the End of the Adversary System? Attorney Client Privilege,” focuses on recent deferred prosecution agreements between the Justice Department and U.S. businesses, including AOL, KPMG, and Computer Associates, and an analysis of whether this kind of agreement is good or bad for the criminal justice system. The program will also address preserving and waiving the attorney-client privilege in a corporate setting. “Hot Topics in Intellectual Property Law – Patent, Trademark and Copyright,” presents a panel discussion on the latest developments in patent, trademark and copyright law in three sections: Hot Topics in Patent Law – a discussion of current U.S. Supreme Court cases, including Illinois Tool Works v. Independent Ink, eBay, Inc. et al v. MercExchange, LLC; Hot Topics in Trademark Law – will focus on the latest developments in trademark law; and Hot Topics in Copyright Law will provide a synopsis of developments in copyright law, such as the Google Library Project and the state of the U.S. Copyright Office. “The Basics: Family Medical Leave Act” will provide an overview of the key provisions of the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Particular focus will be placed on issues relating to employer coverage, employee eligibility and the circumstances under which FMLA leave is required. “Fifth in a Series of Presentations: Judicial Independence in the Context of the Rule of Law in the World Today” will present a dialogue focusing on the interrelationship between the rule of law and judicial independence in the United States and beyond. Panelists will consist of noted U.S. Supreme Court columnist Joan Biskupic; television commentator, producer and talk show host Lynn Doyle; former Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr. of the Supreme Court of the Philippines; and 2006–2007 ABA President-elect Bill Neukom. Immediately following this program there will be a book signing of Biskupic’s book, Sandra Day O'Connor: How the First Woman on the Supreme Court Became Its Most Influential Justice. “Erosion of the Attorney Client Privilege: The Impact on Business Lawyers” “Visible Invisibility: Women of Color in Law Firms” will present the history, findings and next steps for the Women of Color Research Initiative. Additionally, it will provide the tools necessary to effectively utilize the study’s findings and make an impact in the public sphere. “Hurricane Katrina: A Civil Rights Disaster?” will consist of a roundtable discussion that will examine the effects of Hurricane Katrina from a civil rights perspective and explore what the effects of the hurricane, particularly in New Orleans, demonstrate about race and poverty in our country, specifically in terms of access to justice and access to the political process. “Sex Slaves in the Twenty-first Century: The Investigation and Prosecution of Human Trafficking” will present recent successes in the new effort to combat the sex slave trade and focus on possible ways to redouble the effort through refining existing legislation, encouraging developing countries to assist in solving the problem from the supply and demand end of the slave trade, and look at providing victims with the support they need. This session will mainly focus on current efforts underway in Europe, South America, the United States and Asia.
“Food Fights: Genetically Modified Food and the Law” “Best (and Most Ethical) Practices for Electronic Evidence (Document Retention, E-Discovery, Litigation Holds, Spoliation and Sanctions)” “The Perfect Storm: Preparation, Response and Recovery,” will examine an array of issues under the topics of preparation, response, and recovery, including what lessons have been learned, the roles of local, state, and federal governments, as well as private concerns, including the bar, restoration of basic services and legal structure, and issues for consumers, lawyers and business. “16th Annual Margaret Brent Lawyers of Achievement Awards Luncheon” recognizes and celebrates the accomplishments of women lawyers who have achieved professional excellence in their area of specialty and have paved the way to success for other women lawyers. “Principles of Forensic DNA for Officers of the Court: A New Tool for Attorneys and Judges” will inspect pretrial DNA evidence issues, procedural considerations for defense lawyers and prosecutors, trial presentation, the jury and expert witnesses. Part two of a two-part series, this workshop will cater to legal professionals involved in the prosecution, defense or judicial action related to criminal forensic DNA cases. “Silencing the Court: Judicial Impartiality v. Free Speech, A Mock Supreme Court Argument” will focus on the conflict presented in the denial of Dimick v. Republican Party of Minnesota, where the need for judicial ethics codes that protect public confidence in the impartiality of the courts collides with the rights of judicial candidates to free speech and association. A panel of psychologists and communication specialists will analyze the behavior and comments of the mock trial participants. Monday, Aug. 7 The 549-member ABA House of Delegates will meet to consider policy recommendations and vote on resolutions. “You Had a Security Breach, What Do You Have to Do and What Comes Next? Tuesday, Aug. 8 The 549-member ABA House of Delegates will meet to consider policy recommendations and vote on resolutions. During the Annual Meeting, a press room for working journalists will be in the Hawaii Convention Center, 3rd floor, Room 324. It will be open for on-site media registration at noon on Thursday, Aug. 3, and daily thereafter at 8 a.m. It will close one hour after the adjournment of the House of Delegates on Tuesday, Aug. 8. Beginning Aug. 3, the press room phone number will be 808/792-6622. With more than 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law in a democratic society. |
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