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August 2020 Washington Letter

 

This Month's Articles

Government

COVID-19 and the Bar Exam

COVID-19 has forced our country to adopt restrictions to keep all of us safe during this pandemic. There are still many who consider government-imposed regulations a violation of their civil rights, but most people are following scientifically available guidance, and, in many states, infection rates have consequently slowed. But the race to ease restrictions while the pandemic continues has left many people confused or in professional limbo, including recent law school graduates who planned to take the bar exam this summer.

Government

Calls for Police Reform and Racial Justice Spur a Flurry of Resolutions before the ABA House

The ABA House of Delegates responded forcefully to calls for police reform at this year's annual meeting, passing resolutions calling for a curtailing of the qualified immunity doctrine blocking civil lawsuits and for heightened oversight of law enforcement through a national use-of-force database. The House adopted Resolution 301A on qualified immunity with the backing of a vast majority of delegates at Tuesday’s session. The legal doctrine has become a focal point for backers of police reform who see it as an obstacle to accountability for police misconduct.

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The ABA Washington Letter is a monthly publication produced by the Governmental Affairs Office to report and analyze congressional and executive branch action on legislative issues of interest to the ABA and the legal profession. The newsletter highlights ABA involvement in the federal legislative process and focuses on the association's legislative and governmental priorities and other issues on which the ABA has policy.

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