ABA President Submits Comment on Proposed Treasury Rule

ABA President Deborah Enix-Ross recently submitted a comment on behalf of the ABA on a U.S. Department of Treasury proposed rule that would establish data collection standards for beneficial ownership information when combatting illicit financial activity. The comments recommend that the proposal provide clearer definitions of the kinds of national security activities that would warrant access to beneficial ownership information and that the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network ensure “robust dissemination” of the final rules and interpretive guidance. 

ABA Midyear Meeting

The ABA held its Midyear Meeting February 1-6, 2023, in New Orleans, Louisiana. At the meeting, the House of Delegates voted on a number of controversial policy proposals. It rejected a proposal by the Council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar to remove the requirement for a “valid and reliable” admission test for law school from ABA Standard 503. The proposed language for the standard stated that “A law school may use admission tests as part of sound admission practices and policies. The law school shall identify in its admission policies any test it accepts.” Opponents of the standard change expressed concerns about a possible negative impact on law school diversity, transparency in the admissions process, and an eventual “race to the bottom” as law schools abandon admissions test. According to the ABA, “The change now goes back to the council, which serves as the independent accrediting arm for the 196 ABA-approved law schools. Under ABA rules and procedures, the HOD can review a proposed change to the standards twice and concur, reject or make recommendations, but final decisions rest with council, which next meets Feb. 17.” At the February 17 meeting, the Council voted to send the measure back to the House of Delegates during the August 2023 Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado, for the second vote.

The House of Delegates adopted a proposal that encourages the U.S. Supreme Court to adopt a code of judicial ethics. The report on the resolution states that “The absence of a clearly articulated, binding code of ethics for the justices of the Court imperils the legitimacy of the Court. More than that, this absence potentially imperils the legitimacy of all American courts and the American judicial system, given the Court’s central role enshrined in our federal republic. If the legitimacy of the Court is diminished, the legitimacy of all our courts and our entire judicial system is imperiled.”

ABA TECHSHOW 2023

 

The ABA TECHSHOW 2023 will take place March 1-4 in Chicago. The event brings together lawyers, legal professionals, and technology companies to review emerging trends in technology and legal practice. There will be a “Start-up Pitch Competition” for legal startups that will allow them to pitch their innovations to attendees, keynote panels on “Legaltech Visionaries” and access to justice, and programs on incorporating videoconferencing into law practice, communicating with clients using automation, and using AI and data analytics in litigation, among other things. 

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