ABA DELEGATE REPORT
ABA Delegate Report 2021 Midyear Meeting
DAVID MILLER
Dear Fellow Palm Beach County Bar Association Members ,
I hope this bulletin finds each of you and your loved ones well .
Have you ever seen something that made you think , “ That was not right ”? When it happened , did you think , “ Someone should stop this from happening again ”?
Maybe the wrong was personal to you ; maybe the wrong happened to your client . Maybe you saw it on the news . The sad truth is we see it every day , all around us , and it ’ s easy to feel overwhelmed . You think , “ Where to begin ? And what can I , one lawyer from Palm Beach County , possibly do to fix this ?”
Here ’ s another truth , though : As attorneys , we all hold significant power , and we should use that power to benefit others . One way that we can use our power to benefit others is by helping advance legal policies that aim to “ right ” those who have been “ wronged .”
Two times each year , the American Bar Association House of Delegates holds meetings to vote on proposed resolutions . Many of the proposed resolutions are legal policies , put together by attorneys just like you and me , that seek to “ right ” those who have been “ wronged .” For example , here are ten resolutions / policies that were approved by the House of Delegates at the last meeting :
• Establishment of an international convention that serves to protect the public health and the environment by creating standards for proper care and treatment of animals
• Enactment of legislation ensuring access to fair , affordable and highquality childcare and family care
• Supporting use of arbitration in business-to-business disputes , both domestically and internationally , as an efficient and economical method of dispute resolution
• Authorizing courts to allow specially trained dogs to assist victims / vulnerable witnesses during their participation in the justice system
• Development and implementation of programs to assist law school graduates and students experiencing financial hardship due to student loan obligations
• Prohibiting the disclosure of , and creating safeguards to protect , personal identification information of federal judges and their immediate family members with whom they share a residence
• Allowing bar examinees to bring in feminine products into the bar exam in opaque ( rather than clear ) containers and be allowed to access those products unilaterally without being accompanied or escorted by exam proctors
• Prohibiting HIV status alone from disqualifying a person from military service
• Entitling persons residing in a US territory who are eligible to receive federal benefits to receive those benefits without regard to their residence
• Reviewing discrimination policies and providing training to eradicate discrimination on the basis of someone ’ s hair
As your Delegate , I have the ability to bring a proposed resolution / policy before the House for consideration . Do you have a policy in mind ? Do you know of any “ wrongs ” that need to be made “ right ”? If so , please reach out to me at ( 561 ) 684-3222 or drm @ derreverelaw . com so that we can use the power afforded to us and proudly put together a resolution / policy to benefit those in need .
All my best , David Miller
UPCOMING PBCBA CLE WEBINARS
Thursday , May 6 , 2021 12:00 P . M . - 1:00 P . M . Live via Zoom
Law Day Webinar - Being Stuck is Real by Author & Motivational Speaker Celeste N Bowers
Friday , May 7 , 2021 12:00 P . M . - 1:00 P . M . Live via Zoom
A Quarterly Review of Recently Issued Appellate Opinions
Thursday , May 20 , 2021 12:00 P . M . - 1:30 P . M . Live via Zoom
From Surviving to Thriving : Growth Levers for Law Firms - Learn New Systems You Can Implement Today
For more information , please visit : www . palmbeachbar . org / calendar
PBCBA BAR BULLETIN 6