ABA announces anti-bullying initiative

 The American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division announced today that Bullyproof, an initiative to prevent bullying, will be the division’s 2013-14 public service project. 


The comprehensive initiative will provide education and resources targeted at multiple audiences that are affected by bullying, including parents, students, educators and young lawyers. As members of the legal profession, attorneys can represent victims of bullying, prosecute bullies, advise school districts, advocate for the enactment or revision of school policies, and push for new laws to combat the problem. 

“Too many students have suffered the emotional distress from bullying and cyberbullying for too long, and now is the time to do something to improve the learning environment for young people,” said Mario Sullivan, chair of the ABA Young Lawyers Division. “We are speaking out to let all young people who experience bullying know that they are not alone and that we are committed to making school a safer place to foster education.” 

Bullyproof is composed of three pillars:

1. Outreach on the grass-roots level by going to schools and talking to administrators, teachers and students to address the problems at their core.

2. Programming through the YLD website to help lawyers who may be representing schools, students or bullies.

3. Best practice tools and materials for young lawyers to lobby for laws and policies that assist in combatting bullying in schools and cyberbullying.

More information on the Bullyproof initiative can be found online, including a YouTube clip on the new project featuring Printz Board, songwriter and producer of the Black Eyed Peas, who supports this initiative. 

The Young Lawyers Division is the largest young lawyer organization in the world, with 130,000 members and more than 300 affiliated groups. YLD makes contributions to the communities where its members practice law through public service initiatives. Past YLD initiatives include American Voter Project, Project Salute: Young Lawyers Serving Veterans, Serving Our Seniors, Voices Against Violence and Wills for Heroes. 

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