American Bar Association Section of Litigation

American Bar Association Section of Litigation
Name	American Bar Association Section of Litigation
Founded	1973
Type	Section of a professional association
Headquarters	Chicago, Illinois
Parent organization	American Bar Association

American Bar Association Section of Litigation The American Bar Association Section of Litigation is a professional section within the American Bar Association focused on trial advocacy, litigation practice, and dispute resolution. It serves litigators across the United States and internationally, bringing together practitioners from firms such as Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, Kirkland & Ellis, Latham & Watkins, and in-house counsel from companies like Microsoft, ExxonMobil, and General Electric. The Section interacts with courts including the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and state supreme courts such as the Illinois Supreme Court and the California Supreme Court.

History

The Section was established in the early 1970s within the framework of the American Bar Association alongside contemporaneous ABA entities like the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar and the Section of Antitrust Law. Early activities connected the Section with litigators from landmark matters in venues such as the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and during periods overlapping with events like the aftermath of the Watergate scandal and legislative reforms following the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Founding leaders drew from bar traditions represented by the New York State Bar Association, the Bar Association of San Francisco, and the Chicago Bar Association.

Organization and Membership

The Section operates through committees and divisions reflecting practice areas including mass torts, appellate practice, complex commercial litigation, and international arbitration involving institutions like the International Chamber of Commerce and the World Trade Organization. Members include partners from firms such as Jones Day, Sullivan & Cromwell, and WilmerHale; academics from law schools like Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, Columbia Law School, and Stanford Law School; and judges from the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. The governance structure features a Council and elected officers similar to governance in the American Bar Association House of Delegates.

Programs and Activities

The Section organizes CLE programs, trial practice demonstrations, and symposia often hosted in partnership with institutions such as Georgetown University Law Center, New York University School of Law, and conferences that attract attendees from firms like Covington & Burling and corporations such as IBM. Annual meetings and events coincide with larger ABA gatherings and have been held in cities including Chicago, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and New Orleans. The Section sponsors mock trials, roundtables on topics related to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and initiatives addressing electronic discovery issues stemming from litigation involving companies like Apple Inc. and Google LLC.

Publications and Resources

The Section publishes practice guides, benchbooks, and newsletters drawing on scholarship from contributors at University of Chicago Law School, NYU School of Law, and UCLA School of Law. Key resources discuss developments in jurisdictions such as the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and landmark decisions from the Supreme Court of the United States including cases that shape pleading standards and evidence law. The Section’s materials are used alongside treatises such as those from W. Page Keeton and practice manuals from publishers connected to institutions like The Federalist Society and bar committees from the American Bar Association Section of Antitrust Law.

Policy and Advocacy

The Section engages in policy commentary to the ABA and files amicus briefs in significant appeals before courts including the Supreme Court of the United States and the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. It has addressed statutory and rule matters related to the Federal Rules of Evidence, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and reforms influenced by legislation like the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005. The Section’s advocacy interacts with other organizations such as the National Association of Attorneys General, the Federal Judicial Center, and the Administrative Office of the United States Courts on issues affecting civil procedure and access to courts.

Awards and Recognition

The Section presents awards recognizing trial lawyers, academics, and judges with honors paralleling distinctions like the ABA Medal, and it highlights recipients from firms such as Mayer Brown and law faculties at Duke University School of Law and University of Michigan Law School. Awards often celebrate achievements in trial advocacy, appellate excellence, and contributions to legal scholarship, and are presented at ceremonies alongside major ABA awards and events like the ABA Annual Meeting.

Notable Officers and Alumni

Prominent officers and alumni have included litigators who later served as judges on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and academics who have held posts at Harvard Law School, Georgetown University Law Center, and Stanford Law School. Alumni networks connect to leaders from firms including Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, Cravath, Swaine & Moore, and corporations such as Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer.

Category:American Bar Association Category:Legal organizations based in the United States