Midyear Meeting Preview
 The ABA is making final preparations for the 2006 Midyear Meeting, slated to be held in Chicago Feb. 8 - 13. Dozens of committee meetings, continuing legal education programs and receptions will take place, and the House of Delegates will consider nearly two dozen recommendations for possible adoption as association policy.
Among the programming highlights will be "The Perfect Storm: Are the Roles and Authorities Adequate for Emergency Response?," being sponsored by the Standing Committee on Law and National Security. At the height of an emergency, legal authority for executive action by government is at its peak - but so is confusion, and often even chaos. The program, and a related paper to be released at the same time, will look at government legal authority to act in the midst of the immediate response phase to a disaster. The panel will explore state, local and first responder issues; federalism and constitutional challenges; and military involvement and private sector integration. The program will be cosponsored by the sections of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice and of State and Local Government Law, the Young Lawyers Division and the Law Student Division.
Other featured program topics include "Constitutional Principles and Legal Strategies in the Creation/Evolution Debates," "International Perspectives on Lawyer Professionalism and Ethics," "From Dred Scott to Rosa Parks and Hurricane Katrina: Where Do We Go From Here? Constitutional Law Through the Eyes of Black America," and "Human Trafficking and Alternatives to Secure Detention."
Among the measures expected to be on the policy agenda before the House of Delegates are a proposal that the ABA oppose legislation that would require medical malpractice cases to be placed in "health courts"; a proposal calling upon lawyers to renew their commitment to the public good through engagement in public service activities; and a request for support in urging Congress to enact legislation to provide federal recognition and to restore self-determination of Native Hawaiians.
Also at the forefront are several immigration-related recommendations, including requests for ABA support for due process and judicial review vis-à-vis immigration applications; support for the right to counsel for indigent persons and certain vulnerable populations; support for the establishment of practices to ensure proper identification of asylum seekers; support for a transparent and fair system for administering immigration law; and opposition to the detention of persons in immigration proceedings except in extraordinary circumstances.
When policy recommendations are agreed to by the House of Delegates, ABA government affairs lobbyists work to further legislation in accordance with the positions through meetings, coalitions, letters to Congress, the executive branch and others, and related means. A "sneak preview" of these and other recommendations is available online. Additional items are likely to be added to the agenda as the time grows closer.
Most of the programs and business sessions will take place at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. Chicago-area lawyers! If you have part of Monday the 13th free and have ever been curious about the workings of the House of Delegates, you're welcome to register for a badge - registration is free - and come sit in the gallery. The House is usually in session from 9:00 to noon and again from 2:00 to 5:00, although those hours can vary a bit depending on the demands of the agenda. And if you have time between the 8th and 13th, CLE sessions are also available to registrants, although some of those sessions might be priced. The calendar of ABA-wide events can be found online here, as well as links to the home pages of the various substantive sections that will be meeting during the week.
Back to top
|
