Prosecution Advisory Sentencing Guidelines Working, ABA Says The ABA, in testimony last month before a House Judiciary subcommittee, maintained that there is no need to fundamentally overhaul the current advisory sentencing guidelines system.
Courts & Judiciary ABA Stresses Urgency for Filling Judicial Vacancies ABA President Wm. T. (Bill) Robinson III commended Senate leaders last month for confirming 10 judges during the first two weeks of October and urged them to continue to schedule multiple nominees for votes on the same day at regular intervals throughout the remainder of this session to make progress toward reducing the vacancy rate.
LGBTQ Legal Issues ABA Supports Repeal of Defense of Marriage Act; Bill Clears Committee The ABA expressed strong support this month for S. 598, the Respect for Marriage Act, a bill that the Senate Judiciary Committee approved by a 10-8 vote Nov. 10 in an effort to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
Criminal Efforts Continue for Criminal Justice Study Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), who first proposed the idea of a National Criminal Justice Commission in 2009, vowed last month at the ABA Criminal Justice Section Fall Conference to keep fighting for his legislation after the Senate failed to attach language to create the study commission to a fiscal year 2012 appropriations bill.
New Attorneys ABA Provides Enhanced Law School Data Collection ABA President Wm. T. (Bill) Robinson III provided Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) with a letter last month from the association’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar detailing the steps the section is taking to provide accurate and timely information to assist prospective law students and law school graduates in making informed choices about law schools and legal careers.
Federal Government Conferees Begin Negotiations on FY 2012 “Minibus” Conferees began negotiations this month on the first fiscal year 2012 “minibus” appropriations package, which combines three of the 12 funding bills required to keep the government running – Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-State, and Transportation-Housing and Urban Development.