ABA Report

By: Chris Jennison

The MSBA YLS sent a full delegation to the ABA Young Lawyers Division Assembly, held on August 6, 2021, virtually

• A resolution was passed which would increase each state’s delegate number to the Assembly, so the MSBA will have at least one seat more going forward in the YLD Assembly. • A resolution drafted by YLS councilmember Heather Krick was adopted that urges law firms to use financial institutions that fund or otherwise invest in infrastructure projects near tribal, low- income, and marginalized communities of color after project owners have obtained legal permits with proper consultations and feedback with tribes or communities in surrounding areas, including nation to nation consultations with tribal leaders, as required by appropriate federal laws, and further urges law firms to conduct their banking with financial institutions that incorporate transparent procedures that review the environmental impacts of infrastructure projects, such as fossil fuel pipelines, on surrounding tribal communities, low-income, and marginalized communities of color.

• A resolution was adopted that urges all bar admissions authorities, law schools, bar associations, and legal employers to develop clear, specific, and uniform written policies that provide reasonable and accessible accommodations to lactating individuals, including: making such written policies publicly available and accessible online; providing reasonable and supportive accommodations to express milk; and in an examination context, permitting examinees to bring their pumping equipment and expressed milk into the examination room.

The YLD’s fall meeting will be held virtually, more details to come.

The ABA is hosting a Student Debt Week of Action from Sept. 20-24. Join us for a student debt week of action on September 20-24, 2021. The ABA is working with several organizations during the week of September 20th to bring attention to the need for additional student loan debt relief, including through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Join us to learn more about the student debt crisis and get resources to help you reach out to your elected officials to ask them to address this critical issue. The ABA is hosting its inaugural Equity Summit, virtually from September 27-30, 2021, including a conversation with Justice Sotomayor. The House of Delegates adopted a resolution drafted by the YLD that urges Congress to enact legislation to amend the U.S. Bankruptcy code to permit student loans to be discharged in bankruptcy without needing to prove undue hardship. The Midyear meeting is slated currently to be in person in Seattle in February. Stay tuned for information about serving as an MSBA YLS Delegate to the ABA YLD.