The Gazette 1992

GAZETTE

SEPTEMBER 1992

N W E

S

A BA Deba t es the " A" Word

extremist one that would only further undermine the Association and undermine its credibility. "We are not cowards when we take a healing position. The resolution will not help to heal, but will add to the shouting by people who are not listening." The motion was passed by a two- thirds majority in the ABA Assembly, and subsequently by a similar majority in the ABA House of Delegates, ensuring its adoption as ABA policy. However, this is the second time in as many years that the ABA has changed its mind on the issue. In February, 1990 the House of Delegates adopted a position favouring abortion rights. Six months later the ABA switched to a neutral stance after a campaign led by opponents of abortion rights. • ABA Awards 19 Gavels The ABA this year celebrated the 35th Anniversary of its Gavel Awards programme. The ABA presents the Gavel Awards to media organisations for outstanding public service in increasing public understanding of the American legal system. This year's competition attracted nearly 400 entries from 262 different media organisations and 19 awards were made. Among the winners were the Akron Beacon Journal (Ohio) for "Justices for All?" a troubling series raising ethical questions and allegations of impropriety among the justices of the Ohio Supreme Court; WETA FM (Washington DC) for "We Hold These Thiths", an entertaining broadcast tracing the Constitution and the Bill of Rights from their origin and ratification to modern day challenges; Salmon and Schuster Consumer Group (New York) for "Den of Thieves" by James Stewart, an exciting tale of how the biggest criminals in Wall Street's history were brought to justice. •

Ttoelve thousand plus lawyers, including a delegation from the Law Society of Ireland, descended on San Francisco for the Annual Meeting of the American Bar Association which ran from 6-12 August last. Those attending the meeting had the choice of attending more than 2,200 different meetings and programmes featuring 1,800 speakers and wading their way through the 150,000 lbs of paper produced as background documentation by the ABA for the meeting. While participants could choose between programmes such as "Wine Regulation Issues" "Challenges Facing Advocates in the 1990s", "Everything You Wanted To Know About Running a Small Practice But Were Too Busy To Ask", it was the issue of abortion rights which dominated the agenda. Outgoing ABA President, Talbot "Sandy" D'Alemberte, proposed the motion: " be it resolved, that the American Bar Association opposes State or federal legislation which restricts the right of a woman to choose to terminate a pregnancy (1) before foetal viability; or (2) thereafter, if such termination is necessary to protect the life or health of the woman". The ABA President said that " t he best interests of the

/ Will i

ABA President Talbot D'Alemberte growing numbers of women entering the legal profession, the ABA may not, without grave results for its credibility, withdraw from important women's issues, even ones that are divisive. Some of us - and I am one of those - think the whole choice issue is a justice issue. It involves liberty issues, and to remain neutral when a liberty issue is at stake is to turn our back on a rather proud tradition of speaking out on such things". Opponents of the motion argued that abortion was a moral and religious issue for most people, and that taking a position would only polarise the ABA. Past President, John J. Curtin, Jnr., spoke in favour of remaining neutral on the issue. He said that the abortion rights resolution was an button badges extolling the virtues of Irish lawyers which were stored away by recipients to be worn next St. Patrick's Day. A constant query was about the criteria required to obtain an Irish passport, seen by many as an indirect route to availing of the benefits of freedom of movement and rights of establishment arising from the EC Internal Market.

Association lie with American lawyers entering this fray. With

Booth 507 Attracts the Crowds

Booth 507, occupied by the Law Society of Ireland, was among the busiest of the 197 booths at the Expo staged at the American Bar Association. Seven Irish firms booked time on the Law Society booth and all reported a steady stream of visitors to the stand, many of them claiming Irish roots and connections. Materials promoting the

services of Irish law firms were snapped up, particularly green

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