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- Resolution numbers can look like codes, but they are identifiers
- ABA policy resolutions describe what the association supports
- Federal and state topics can appear in the same meeting materials
- Bar exam and court administration issues are often state focused
- Some resolutions focus on Congress and federal programs
- Adopted resolutions can influence later legal conversations
- Sources
Key Facts
- Federal and state: One ABA Annual Meeting webpage states that certain resolutions adopted by the House of Delegates “have officially become ABA policy.”
- Federal and state: The same webpage reports that, in one Annual Meeting, the Young Lawyers Division adopted 19 resolutions and 15 were House of Delegates resolutions.
- State level: The webpage describes Resolution 10G as addressing emergency measures related to bar exam administration during the COVID-19 crisis.
- Federal level: The webpage describes Resolution 10B as supporting an Equal Protection Clause interpretation related to Supplemental Security Income benefits in U.S. territories.
- Federal and state: The webpage describes Resolution 301A as urging governments at several levels to eliminate or substantially curtail qualified immunity in certain civil actions against law enforcement officers.
- Federal and state: The webpage describes Resolution 100B as urging legislation addressing race discrimination based on hair texture, style, or appearance.
- Federal level: The webpage describes Resolution 105 as urging Congress to create and fund a Guardianship Court Improvement Program for adult guardianship.
- State level: The webpage reports that the Nevada Supreme Court cited Resolution 10G in an order related to the Nevada bar exam.
Resolution numbers can look like codes, but they are identifiers
Terms like 2013am113c often look like a shorthand label, and ABA meeting materials commonly use resolution identifiers made of numbers and letters.
On an ABA Annual Meeting page, examples include identifiers such as Resolution 10G, Resolution 100B, and Resolution 301A, each followed by a short description of what the resolution addresses.
ABA policy resolutions describe what the association supports
According to an ABA Annual Meeting webpage, certain resolutions were adopted by the ABA House of Delegates and “have officially become ABA policy.”
“These 15 resolutions were among those that were ultimately adopted by the House during its session … and have officially become ABA policy.”
Federal and state topics can appear in the same meeting materials
Some resolution summaries focus on federal programs or federal constitutional issues, while others focus on state courts, state licensing authorities, or multilevel government action.
The same ABA Annual Meeting page lists resolutions that reference Congress and federal benefits, and other resolutions that reference state bar admission authorities and state court systems.
Bar exam and court administration issues are often state focused
One example described on the ABA Annual Meeting page is Resolution 10G, which addresses emergency measures related to bar exam administration during the COVID-19 crisis.
That resolution summary also references state-level entities, such as state courts or other licensing authorities involved in bar admission decisions.
Some resolutions focus on Congress and federal programs
Another example on the same page is Resolution 105, which is described as urging Congress to create and fund a Guardianship Court Improvement Program for adult guardianship.
The page also summarizes Resolution 10B as supporting an Equal Protection Clause interpretation related to Supplemental Security Income benefits for eligible Americans residing in U.S. territories.
Adopted resolutions can influence later legal conversations
The ABA Annual Meeting page reports that the Nevada Supreme Court cited Resolution 10G in an order related to the Nevada bar exam.
Separately, the same page reports that the ABA President sent a letter to chief justices referencing Resolution 10G.
