ABA House faces full agenda of policy issues

The American Bar Association House of Delegates will consider more than two dozen policy matters, including three resolutions addressing the judiciary, when it meets Feb. 3 during the 2025 ABA Midyear Meeting in Phoenix.

Additional resolutions focus on lawyer well-being, antisemitism education and righting wrongful convictions.

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs will deliver welcoming remarks and New Hampshire Supreme Court Chief Justice Gordon J. MacDonald will also speak. ABA President Bill Bay, Executive Director Alpha Brady and ABA President-elect nominee Barbara Howard also will deliver remarks.

Jonathan Cole, chair of the House of Delegates, will preside over the one-day meeting.

The yearly winter meeting opened in Phoenix on Jan. 29. The policymaking House, known as the HOD, encompasses nearly 600 delegates from ABA entities and state, local and specialty bar associations.

With the posted agenda set weeks in advance, late resolutions could be added under certain circumstances to reflect proposed ABA policy responses to national and other developments during the past few weeks.

The HOD will consider two resolutions concerning judicial security. Resolution 201 encourages state, local, territorial, tribal and specialty bar associations to adopt policies to prioritize enhancing judicial security in their jurisdiction. Resolution 202 urges jurisdictions to enact legislation, regulations or take judicial action to prohibit the disclosure of personally identifiable information of active or former government officials and employees, and the immediate family members with whom they share a residence.

Resolution 200 looks to address so-called “judge shopping” and urges Congress to pass federal legislation to eliminate federal case assignment mechanisms that predictably assign cases to a single United States district judge without random assignment to judges in a district when such cases seek to enjoin or mandate the enforcement or declaratory relief concerning enforcement of a state or federal law or regulation.

The Young Lawyers Division has put forth two resolutions dealing with lawyers’ well-being. Resolution 505 urges all legal employers to adopt policies and practices that encourage all their lawyers to unplug at least one week per year. Resolution 506 encourages legal employers to adopt policies and practices that promote flexible work arrangements and permit lawyers time off to address personal and family needs.

Other HOD proposals include:

• Resolution 606 promotes the introduction and teaching of Jewish and Holocaust studies in K-12 public schools as a tool to combat antisemitism, and anti-Jewish hate and discrimination.

• Resolution 503 looks to assist prosecutors seeking to remedy wrongful convictions overcome hurdles such as procedural bars or skepticism by the courts.

• Resolution 609 urges state and admission authorities to narrowly tailor inquiries made during the bar admission process to only include questions related to a person’s fitness to practice law
such as propensity for fraud, deceit, dishonesty or misrepresentation.

HOD proposals do not become ABA policy until approved by the House, which meets twice annually.

The next HOD meeting will be held during the ABA Annual Meeting, August 6-12, in Toronto.