Resiliency Is the New Normal. Lawyers, ABA adapt and lead in tackling pandemic challenges

• Author: Judy Perry Martinez
• Pages: 6-6

Lawyers, ABA adapt and lead

in tackling pandemic challenges

BY JUDY PERRY MARTINEZ

The COVID-19 pandemic has

caused great tragedy and un-

precedented social and eco-

nomic change in our country

and the world. The legal profession

and justice system have been forced to

adapt on multiple levels over a com-

pressed time period. Changes in how we

work that most technologists thought

would occur over the next decade were

embraced in less than a springtime and

continue to evolve quickly.

Lawyers are working to adapt their

remote operations, manage employees’

safety and attend to their own and their

families’ health. On a professional level,

lawyers are employing new skills for

the benet of their clients. Across major

cities, small towns and rural farmlands,

we have singularly and collectively

come to appreciate and understand how

our roles in society and our responsibil-

ities to others affect our neighbors. In

some ways, our forced separation has

brought forth an acute awareness of

our oneness.

The American Bar Association has

been working proactively throughout

these challenges to bring useful new

resources to lawyers while continuing

to advocate for the profession we serve.

In the interest of safety, the ABA has

transitioned its 2020 annual meeting to

a completely virtual one.

The ABA’s Task Force on Legal

Needs Arising Out of the 2020 Pandem-

ic (ambar.org/coronavirustaskforce) was

created within days of the initial shel-

ter-in-place orders. It taps the knowl-

edge and creativity of legal experts in

disaster response, health law, insurance,

small business, criminal justice, civil

rights, medical and employment bene-

ts and more.

The task force’s website contains in-

formation and updates on new benets,

protections against evictions and other

actions due to job losses, court closings

and mobilization of pro bono efforts.

The site, which is regularly updated,

also includes:

• Free resources and guidance for

lawyers in all practice settings with

short videos and links about work-

ing remotely, disaster response,

planning/preparedness plans, laws on

quarantine orders, protecting against

cybersecurity threats, and lawyer

health and well-being.

• Pro bono opportunities: For exam-

ple, lawyers in 42 jurisdictions can

participate in ABA Free Legal An-

swers, which allows them to answer

civil legal questions from their homes

without expectation of long-term

representation.

• The ABA CLE Marketplace, which

has nearly 600 widely accredited

online and on-demand programs on

pandemic-related and other topics

free to ABA members.

Throughout the pandemic, the ABA

has continued its robust advocacy for

the profession and our clients. For

example, the ABA urged federal ofcials

to consider “essential” critical legal

work that cannot legally or practically

be done remotely during stay-at-home

orders. We also promptly released

guidance to state supreme courts and

bar admissions ofcials urging state

licensing authorities to adopt rules au-

thorizing 2019 and 2020 law graduates

who cannot take a bar exam because

of the pandemic to engage in a limited

practice of law with supervision by a

licensed attorney.

Legal aid and criminal justice con-

tinue to be a focus of our advocacy. The

ABA urged House and Senate leaders to

include $100 million of supplemental

emergency appropriations for the Legal

Services Corp. to serve pandemic-re-

lated legal needs of low-income Amer-

icans. The ABA also requested federal

ofcials promote public health by insti-

tuting protections against the spread of

COVID-19 in jails and prisons.

During this time of challenge and

change, resilience is critical. We must be

exible in our processes and traditions

but rm in our commitment to our

principles and justice.

The ABA, through its committed

staff and dedicated volunteer leader-

ship, will continue to lead our profes-

sion through the pandemic. We are all

part of a historic chapter for the ABA,

the profession and our nation as we

perfect new ways of interacting and

learning from one another.

Much work remains to be done, but

our embrace of resiliency will lead us

down a new path that positions us to

best serve our clients and the public in

this time of need and beyond. Together,

we will emerge a stronger and more

vibrant profession. Q

Resiliency

Is the New

Normal

President’s Letter Follow President Martinez on

Twitter @ABAPresident or email

abapresident@americanbar.org.

Photo © Zack Smith

ABA JOURNAL | JUNE–JULY 2020

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ABAJ J E-J Y Pr s s r AM