Problems with the country’s civil justice system, equal pay issues, public transportation matters as well Latino voting trends and the evolving legal market will be among the issues explored at the 2017 American Bar Association Midyear Meeting Feb. 1-6 in Miami.
During the gathering, the 589-member House of Delegates — theABA’s policy-making body — will meet to debate and vote on a variety of proposals.
The schedule of sessions will include:
• “Achieving Civil Justice for All: Recommendations, Next Steps” — Leaders of the ABA Civil Justice Improvements Committee will share the committee’s 13 recommendations to help ameliorate the high costs, frequent delays and complexity of the civil justice system.
“Community Benefits Agreements, Environmental Justice and Access to Housing” — Miami-Dade County Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava and Advocacy Director Shahrzad Emami of Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc., will be among panelists discussing the successful use of “community benefits,” a new practice where in private-sector developers work with both government and neighbors to mitigate the adverse impact of new developments and create local area benefits, such as hiring and job training.
• “Collaborate to Advocate: Lawyers and Advocates Working to End Poverty” — The ABA will collaborate with Florida lawyers and advocates to identify, promote and implement best practices for eliminating legal and justice system-related policies, practices and procedures that unfairly perpetuate or worsen the harmful effects of poverty on low-income people and communities in the state.
• “Cuba Libre: The Potential Legal Costs and Benefits” — A panel will discuss the changes made to the regulations surrounding transactions with Cuban entities, litigation concerns for businesses and individuals bringing their business to Cuba, current regulations surrounding American and Cuban business transactions and navigating negotiations with the Cuban government.
• “Fees and Costs: Barriers for Justice-Involved Youth and Young Adults” — Miami-Dade Chief Assistant Public Defender Marie Osborne and Juvenile Division Director Rob Mason of the Jacksonville, Fla., public defender’s office will be among panelists who will explore the impact of fees and other costs on youth and young adults in the criminal justice system.
• “Road Rage: The Future of Transportation Management in Big Cities” — As Altamonte Springs, Fla., recently became the first in the nation to implement the public subsidization of Uber rides within city limits to address its public transportation gaps, a panel of Florida lawyers will discuss the advantages and pitfalls of the new program and other such ride-sharing alternatives to large-scale infrastructure investments.
• “Analysis of the Latino Vote in the 2016 November Election – Trends in Latino Voting” — Executive Director Arturo Vargas of the National Association of Elected Officials will be among experts who will analyze the recent election and identify trends in Latino voting. Where did the Latino vote create the most impact? What were the surprises?
• “The Zika Virus: The Legal Implications of a Public Health Emergency” — Mayor Philip K. Stoddard of South Miami and representatives from the Florida Department of Health, Monroe County Administrator Bob Eadie and Florida state epidemiologist Anna M. Likos, will discuss their response to the Zika virus and the lessons learned that will benefit other public health emergencies.
• “Bridging the Gap: Issues with Equal Pay” — A panel of leading female attorneys from Florida – including Pierce T. MacLennan, Elaine W. Keyser, Diane Perez and Lindsey Wagner – will discuss the gender pay gap in America and analyze current developments to address it, such as proposed legislation, and provide insight into what still remains to be done.
• “Changing Tides: How Law Schools are Riding the Wave of an Evolving Legal Market” — Deans from several Florida law schools – including those from Stetson University, Florida A&M University College of Law, University of Florida and University of Miami Law – will analyze the changing legal market and how their law schools are carving new paths to ensure students are prepared to enter the legal profession.
• “Enforcement Priorities in the Trump Administration” — Panelists – including Marcos Jimenez, former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida– will forecast trends in criminal and civil enforcement under the Trump administration. Topics will include the investigation and prosecution of securities and healthcare fraud, immigration, terrorism, domestic and global tax offenses, as well as sentencing and drug policy.
• “Town Hall on Election Reform” — ABA leaders, community members and other stakeholders will discuss needed reforms related to Election Day and early voting.
• “12th Annual Summit on Public Defense Improvement” — This all-day conference will review national developments in indigent defense. A panel wll explore racial injustice in the criminal justice system and the impact of implicit bias and structural racism.
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