Washington Lawyer - May 2020 - 9

ABA DELEGATE'S CORNER

PROMOTING
THE RULE OF LAW

By Robert N. Weiner

his column, my second as ABA
State Delegate for the District of
Columbia, will highlight some
ABA initiatives that you may find
interesting, helpful, or even inspiring.
On October 1, 2019, the ABA launched an educational social media campaign on the rule of
law. The term "rule of law" is often used but
rarely defined. For many, it is political armament,
understood at the most superficial level as
something people who agree with us respect
and our opponents do not. But the term is
meaningful. The ABA defines it as "a set of principles, or ideals, for ensuring an orderly and just
society," including equal treatment under the
law, clear and fair processes for enforcement, an
independent judiciary, and guaranteed human
rights. The rule of law is fundamental to what
we do as lawyers. Even a common task such as
preparing a standard sales contract requires the
mutual acceptance of basic legal principles, the
availability of courts to enforce the agreement,
and the assurance of fair treatment in those
courts.
The ABA initiative provides resources for you to
learn about, debate, and promote the rule of
law. On the ABA website, federal judges discuss
why the rule of law matters and how it affects
us daily. The website examines the historical
underpinnings of the concept in the United
States and describes the Rule of Law Initiative,
which advances the rule of law internationally
and measures how it is experienced in 126
countries, including nations where values we
view as fundamental have not taken root.
On other fronts, the ABA's Midyear Meeting
occurred in Austin, Texas, on February 12-17,
2020. There the House of Delegates adopted
ABA policies ranging from the intensely practical (such as disclosure of contact information
provided by registrants for internet domain
names) to protecting lawyers from federal

prosecution for advising clients on marijuanarelated activities permitted under state law.
The enacted resolutions also addressed issues
such as:

Background checks, permits, and storage
* requirements
for firearms;
Voter preregistration of 16- to 18-year-olds as
* part
of robust civic education;
Legal interests implicated by drone flights
* over
private property, often for spying; and
Cybersecurity standards and certification of
* hardware,
software, and infrastructure used
in federal elections.
Each year hundreds of leaders of the ABA, state
bars, and local bars across the United States
come to Washington, D.C., for ABA Day to meet
with their members of Congress about issues of
importance to the profession, such as funding
for the Legal Services Corporation and preservation of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness
Program for educational debt. Because of
health concerns due to the coronavirus, ABA
celebrated its first fully digital lobby day on April
22 and 23.
The ABA and its divisions and sections frequently hold events in the District. As we went
to press, the ABA Litigation Section's 44th
Annual Conference was slated for May 6-8.
These events, and similar ones by other ABA
groups, offer an array of CLE programs and the
chance to meet lawyers from across the country
in your area of practice. Check the ABA website
for the status of upcoming events.
As always, please contact me if you are interested in joining or have questions about the
ABA.
Robert N. Weiner is a partner at Arnold & Porter LLP
and D.C. State Delegate to the American Bar
Association. He is also adjunct professor of law at
Georgetown University Law Center. Reach him at
Robert.Weiner@arnoldporter.com.

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Washington Lawyer - May 2020

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