Litigation
Aug. 6, 2002
ABA Plans Annual Meeting
After September's terrorist attacks united Americans in newfound patriotism, the nation's capital seems the perfect setting to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the American Bar Association's annual meeting, being held this month from Aug. 8 to Aug. 13.
After September's terrorist attacks united Americans in newfound patriotism, the nation's capital seems the perfect setting to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the American Bar Association's annual meeting, being held this month from Aug. 8 to Aug. 13.
But the real impetus behind the choice of venue was the city's ability to provide enough conference rooms for 2,500 meetings of 20,000 lawyers and their families from around the country.
The convention will take place at the Marriott Wardman Park in Washington, D.C.
"There are only about five or six cities in the United States that can hold this meeting because it requires so many meeting rooms to be used at the same time," says Bert Tigerman, executive director of the Beverly Hills Bar Association and a member of the national association's California House of Delegates. "Vegas doesn't even want us."
The ABA's annual meeting is a well-attended event featuring many awards, canapéd receptions, informative seminars and solemn debates, including one of the House of Delegates' two annual meetings.
California delegates are anticipating a passing vote on the much-debated ABA report on multijurisdictional practice.
"The ABA turned down multidisciplinary practice two or three years ago, which we took some criticism for, but now that decision looks pretty good, given what's happened with Arthur Andersen," says Allan J. Joseph, shareholder with San Francisco's Rogers, Joseph, O'Donnell & Phillips and treasurer-elect of the ABA's Board of Governors.
Joseph will be sworn in as treasurer at the close of the annual meeting.
"Any lawyer who doesn't operate solely within his or her own state - which, with the Internet, means most of us - is probably technically engaged in an unauthorized practice of law," Joseph continues. "It is very important for us to have rules that reflect modern practice."
As another reflection of change, the ABA has taken a new approach to registration this year.
Recognizing the near impossibility of anyone getting to all of the meeting's continuing education seminars, it has established a pay-as-you-go registration fee.
This new approach will result in lower fees for most attendees, according to Richard E. Hirshon, ABA president. The base registration fee is $95 for members and $450 for nonmembers. CLE programs are paid for individually.
As does any conference, the annual meeting provides a forum for attorneys, judges, law-school students and others from around the country - and some from around the world - to meet and swap ideas about the legal field.
In addition to a grueling schedule of meetings during the weeklong event, House of Delegates members play host to foreign dignitaries - a duty most look forward to.
"My wife and I are hosting a representative from the bar of Hong Kong," Joseph says, "which means you tell them what they can't miss and what they can skip, when they can sleep in and so on. It's fascinating to meet practicing lawyers from other countries."
Several rubber-chicken lunches will feature keynote speakers of noted caliber, including former first lady Rosalynn Carter, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Morris Dees, director of the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Ala.
"The level of the people who debate at this meeting is just incredibly high," says David J. Pasternak, partner with Los Angeles' Pasternak, Pasternak & Patton and a member of California's House of Delegates.
At another highly anticipated luncheon, scheduled for Aug. 10., the ABA's Central European and Eurasian Law Institute will honor President Stjepan Mesic of the Republic of Croatia and the people of his country.
The president's reception that evening is open to everyone who is registered for the meeting. The popular event will take place in the National Air and Space Museum.
Despite the ABA scheduling dozens of meetings and events, many of national group's regional sections have their own agendas that barely allow conference goers to hit the main meeting headquarters.
"Each one of the sections of the ABA takes over a hotel and does a lot of continuing education and programming, so there's all kinds of meetings going on," Tigerman says. "Some people never get over to the headquarters because they view the meeting as a time to meet with their section members."
Bion M. Gregory, partner with Sacramento's Nossaman, Guthner, Knox & Elliott and a House of Delegates member, has been attending the meeting for the last two decades and sees it changing for the better.
"It's more focused than it was in the past. I think that reflects a change in where we are in law today: more succinct, more open in communicating and sharing ideas," Gregory says.
Advance registration, including ticket sales for special events, has closed, but those who are interested may register on-site at the Marriott Wardman Park.
The 2003 annual meeting will take place in San Francisco Aug. 7-12.
Christina Landers
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