It may be hard to believe, but 2020 marks the centennial of the 19th Amendment, which guarantees and protects a woman’s right to vote. Women have come a long way since the days of hoopskirts and corsets. Nowhere is this more evident than in the practice of law: women now outnumber men in law school enrollment. At one time, this would have been unimaginable. Katherine Mikkelson, the Division’s associate director, contributed Nineteenth Amendment Centennial: Suffragists and Women in Practice, a fascinating look at three suffragists who became lawyers long before it was the norm for women to enter the profession.
January 15, 2020
Message to the Members
By Michael D. Crain, Editor in Chief
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Whether you have been practicing for years or are a newly licensed attorney, you can probably imagine that a complaint against you to a lawyers’ disciplinary authority would freeze you in your tracks. Wendy J. Muchman, senior lecturer at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, discusses proactive management-based regulation (PMBR), which was adopted by Illinois in 2018. PMBR helps lawyers use self-assessment tools to evaluate and improve their practices — before problems arise. Muchman, who was recently the chief of litigation and professional education with the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, describes Illinois’s framework and how other states are examining and emulating it. Deed fraud is a type of property title theft most predominant in gentrified communities. It affects some of the most vulnerable in our society, including the elderly, immigrants and minorities. Jill Mariani, a senior investigative counsel in the Rackets Bureau of the New York County District Attorney’s Office, has written a chilling piece about how this crime is committed and how LLCs are often used as a shield. Read this eye-opening article to learn about what the state of New York is doing to help halt this fraudulent practice.
Last, we have our annual recap of the Division’s General E. E. Anderson Awards Reception held at the Annual Meeting in San Francisco this past August, written by Alison Hill, the Division’s program specialist. Turn to page 19 to read about the exceptional group of public lawyers receiving honors: LaToya Bell, assistant public defender for Houston County, Georgia; the Santa Clara County Counsel’s Office; and James M. Durant III, chief counsel, Office of Science for the U.S. Department of Energy in Chicago.
On a personal note, this will be my last message as editor in chief. I have enjoyed my time serving in this capacity, helping to produce some incredible content for you — our members. Over the years, we have tackled some tough issues, provided insight into the practice of law and done our best to offer quality content in a digestible format. But as it says in Ecclesiastes, “There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens.” With new professional ventures and family commitments, I am turning over the reins to Edward Monahan who I know will ably lead from here. Thank you for the privilege to participate in producing this magazine which educates and celebrates the achievements of public lawyers across the country. My heartfelt thanks to the American Bar Association staff, especially Katherine Mikkelson, who pours so much into each publication. I will miss working closely with her but already look forward to what she and Ed will produce in the future.