American Bar Association (ABA)
In the summer of 1878, 100 lawyers held a legal convention in Saratoga Springs, New York. This group convened to discuss the lack of national legal standards, policies, ethics, and representation for the legal community; therefore, the group pledged to bridge those concerns and formed the American Bar Association (“American Bar Association”). At this time in history, most lawyers were trained by way of apprenticeships. There were vast limitations to the practice of law and this group decided to champion a cause for, "the advancement of the science of jurisprudence, the promotion of the administration of justice and a uniformity of legislation throughout the country..." (“American Bar Association”). Although those principles served the organization for decades, the ABA has refined those goals with four main premises. The goals are to serve members, improve the legal profession, eliminate biases while enhancing diversity, and to advance the rule of law (“American Bar Association”).
As the legal profession grew, the ABA created sub-divisions and committees that could serve and promote the legal profession on a national level. One of those extensions is the Council on Legal Education Opportunity, (CLEO), which was founded in 1968 to promote legal education for low-income and minority students throughout the United States (“Council on Legal Education”). CLEO was championed from the Civil Rights Era and Justice Thurgood Marshall’s leadership (“About Thurgood Marshall”). Being an organization that openly promotes and lobbies for the betterment of low-income and minority legal students, in 1998, Congress’ new Higher Education Amendments Act created the Thurgood Marshall Legal Educational Opportunities Program; and empowered CLEO with implementing and administrating the program (“Council on Legal Education”). This program gives potential, and current, low-income/underrepresented law students the ability to engage in legal studies that might not be available to them otherwise.
CLEO, being an extension of the ABA, which also administers accreditation standards for law schools, has used its authority to push for lower tuition standards among associated law schools (C. Brink, personal communication, October 21, 2011). Furthermore, they have required institutions to implement mandatory scholarship standards for low-income and minority students (“Center for Racial Diversity”). Such actions have guaranteed a lower cost of education for thousands of students. This type of influence is extremely beneficial for students wanting to pursue a career in law. According to contributors of the report, the initiative is to is focus on institutions that have poor standards for admitting low-income and minority students, and require those institutions to provide greater financial support to those socio-economic groups (“Center for Racial Diversity”). Through CLEO’s initiative, the ABA has been successful in creating financial standards for over 8,000 students with lesser means, and who are underrepresented within the legal profession.
After reading the composites of the report, I could tell where some bias was implemented. However, when promoting anything, that author is attempting to convince another/group that furtherance of the stated position is more beneficial than not. Therefore, a writing bias should occur. Even so, CLEO’s is determined to promote educational assistance to more students and are soliciting the ABA to advance this policy into a larger concentration of student applicants. At the end of the day, promoting financial aid to underrepresented groups allows socio-economic advancement to occur within our society. A standard we can all live with.
References:
About the American Bar Association. (n.d.). Retrieved October 17, 2011, from American Bar Association website, http://www.americanbar.org.
American Bar Association. (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2011, from American Bar Association website, http://www.americanbar.org/groups/diversity/pages/ResearchandResources.html
About Thurgood Marshall, National Civil Rights Museum, museum label.
American Bar Association, Center for Racial Diversity & Council of Legal Education Opportunities. (2010) Diversity in the Legal Profession: Next Steps. Retrieved from, http://www.americanbar.org/groups/diversity/pages/ResearchandResources.html
Association of American Universities, Task Force on Financial Aid Assistance for Disparaged Groups. (2008). Colleges and Universities Expand Efforts to Improve Access and Affordability. Retrieved from http://www.aau.edu/publications/weekly.aspx?id=7248
Brink, C. (2011, October 21). University of Missouri School of Law. Personal Conversation.
Council on Legal Education Opportunity. (n.d.). Retrieved October 13, 2011, from Council on Legal Education Opportunity website, http://www.cleoscholars.com/.
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