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    August 2020 Washington Letter

     

    Federal Government

    Equipping Law Enforcement Agencies

    As Americans are watching the civil unrest unfold across the country, there have been growing concerns about the use of military equipment by civilian law enforcement in state and local communities. The United States Senate recently passed a police reform measure that received little fanfare but, if enacted, would make an important difference.

    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.

    Legislative Research Tip

    Get to Know the Legal Research Institute The Law Library of Congress Legal Research Institute is a source for legal research help and online learning. The website includes links to webinars in US Law and Foreign Law, orientations to the Law Library of Congress Collections, and an overview of Congress.gov. The website also provides online resources for legal research including digitized legal collections, research guides, and an Index of Legal Reports by topic. In person classes are not currently available but will return at a future date. Simply go to: https://www.loc.gov/law/learning

    About the Washington Letter

    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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