Goal III

The American Bar Association recognizes that it has a duty to properly represent the legal profession and the interests of justice. To fulfill these responsibilities, the ABA set forth four goals, which range from sustaining the integrity of the legal profession to providing information and support services.

Goal III, adopted by the ABA House of Delegates in 2008, states:

GOAL III: ELIMINATE BIAS AND ENHANCE DIVERSITY.

Objectives:

1. Promote full and equal participation in the association, our profession, and the justice system by all persons.

2. Eliminate bias in the legal profession and the Justice System.

This Goal is of great importance to the Commission and its own mission "to promote the ABA's commitment to justice and the rule of law for persons with mental, physical, and sensory disabilities and to promote their full and equal participation in the legal profession."

In 2008, the ABA House of Delegates reformed its goals and mission. The tenets of ABA Goal III were drawn from what was previously known as ABA's Goal IX, which was "[t]o promote full and equal participation in the legal profession by minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and persons of differing sexual orientations and gender identities."

To help fulfill Goal III, the Diversity and Inclusion Center issues an annual report in order to assess the participation of diverse persons in ABA Division, Forum, and Section leadership positions during the previous bar year. The report contains findings, conclusions, and recommendations based on a survey sent to these ABA entities. Prior to the 2016-17 Report, the ABA Commission on Disability Rights published its own reports focusing on the participation of persons with disabilities in ABA leadership positions. 

For questions about Goal III and the reports, please contact Amy L. Allbright at [email protected].

Click here for an archive of past Diversity and Inclusion Center and Commission on Disability Rights Goal III Reports