Division for Legal Services - American Bar Association

Division Highlights

New ABA Model Rule on Conditional Admission to Practice Law:

On February 11, 2008 the ABA House of Delegates adopted as ABA policy a new Model Rule on Conditional Admission to Practice Law. This rule is offered to the states as a model to guide states in coping with situations where candidates for admission to practice who have sought treatment for problems with substance abuse or mental health and appear to be in recovery, but where admission authorities wish to monitor such individuals for a period of time to insure that recovery is successful. The model rule provides for confidentiality so that such individuals will feel free to seek treatment without suffering stigma or denial of admission.

[View the Model Rule] [More information about the Model Rule]

Read the Fall 2008 Issue of Dialogue

Inside this Issue:

Preparing your LRS for a major catastrophe
Collecting fees due and increasing web exposure for your LRS
Focusing on the need for state loan repayment assistance programs
Oklahoma’s tax clinic providing low-income residents much needed free legal services
Nominations sought for the 2009 Louis M. Brown Awards
Results and lessons learned from the government attorney pro bono survey
New pro bono website helps facilitate military legal assistance
2008 Harrison Tweed awards presented

What are the ethical implications of excessive defender case loads?
Visit the Indigent Defense Web page of the Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants

Seeking legal help? Want to know more about hiring a lawyer? Visit findlegalhelp.org

Publications of Note

Concise Guide to Lawyer Specialty Certification Published by the Standing Committee on Specialization, the guide helps specialty bar associations and section leaders interested in creating a certification program
	The Judge Advocate General's School Guide to the Service Members Civil Relief Act Just released! This book provides key guidance to military legal assistance practitioners and other lawyers regarding the key civil-law protections offered by the SCRA.
	Standards for the Provision of Civil Legal Aid Adopted in 2006 following extensive drafting, review and public comment, the Standards offer comprehensive guidance to legal aid providers and practitioners about providing effective legal aid to the poor. Available as a book or download.
Unbundling Legal Services This white paper from the ABA Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services examines rules that clarify the role of lawyers who assist pro se litigants.
	A Lawyer's Guide to Healing: Solutions for Addiction and Depression Of interest to lawyers who find law challenging, frustrating, or stressful, the guide places the best contemporary understanding of addictive disease and depression into the context of the real-world problems of lawyering, and identifies how lawyers can seek help and recover.
Profile of Legal Malpractice Claims 2000-2003 Released in 2005 by the ABA Standing Committee on Lawyers' Professional Liability, this report analyzes claims brought against lawyers covered by the liability insurance carriers that participated in the survey underlying the report.
Innovative Fundraising Ideas for Legal Services Information on 30 fundraising initiatives for supporting civil legal aid is contained in this manual produced by the Project to Expand Resources for Legal Services (now part of the ABA Resource Center for Access to Justice Initiatives).
	Gideon's Broken Promise: America's Continuing Quest for Equal Justice An analysis of testimony from public hearings held around the country to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright, this report reaches the inescapable conclusion that the promise of equal justice for the poor remains unfulfilled.
Supporting Justice: A Report on the Pro Bono Work of America's Lawyers Based on a ground-breaking survey of pro bono activity by practicing lawyers over one full year, this report examines the nature of the volunteer legal services provided and lawyers' reasons for participating or not participating in pro bono.

More Publications

Conferences & Training Events

Spring 2009 National Legal Malpractice Conference
April 22-24, 2009
Miami, FL

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Disaster Information

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About Us

The Division for Legal Services provides staff support for 11 ABA committees and commissions, which promote access to justice for all and improvements in the delivery of legal services.

Division Highlights

Publications of Note

Conferences & Training Events

Disaster Information

About Us

Updated: 11/04/2008