2021 Virtual Mid-Year Meeting

Hello fellow members of the ABA! I am sending this report hoping you are safe, healthy and in good spirits.

While progress is consistently being made, we continue to find ourselves in challenging and difficult times. The ABA President Patricia L. Refo issued a statement in response to the Violence at the United States Capitol. In her statement, President Refo urged that “All elected officials and others in positions of civic responsibility must now uphold their oath to defend the Constitution, support a peaceful transition of power, and thereby protect the rule of law.”

In addition, the ABA Task Force on Legal Needs Arising Out of the 2020 Pandemic continues to provide resources on its Webpage including: the results of its 2020 survey; the list of the seven approved House of Delegates resolutions relating to the COVID-19 Pandemic; and updates regarding practice tools and remote work, court access and rule changes. Also visit the ABA’s Practice Forward website for continually updated tools and resources to help move your practice and the legal profession forward during COVID-19 and beyond.

The ABA 82nd Midyear Meeting will be held virtually Wednesday, February 17 – Monday, February 22, 2021. Please plan to participate where you can connect with colleagues, celebrate achievements in the legal profession, and earn CLE credit. Please visit the ABA 2021 Virtual Midyear Meeting Webpage to register for the conference. Registration is complimentary.

The House of Delegates will convene on Monday, February 22, 2021 for two sessions:
9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (Central) – 1st Session
2:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (Central) – 2nd Session

In addition, from 12:15 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. (Central), the House of Delegates Committee for Issues of Concern to the Legal Profession will present a panel discussion that asks the question “Is There a Case for Structural Reform of the U.S. Supreme Court?” The Honorable M. Margaret McKeown, Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, will moderate the program, and panelists will include: Stephen L. Carter, William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Law, Yale University; Sherrilyn Ifill, President & Director-Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund Inc. (LDF); Neal K. Katyal, Professor of National Security Law at Georgetown University Law Center; and Miguel A. Estrada, Partner, Gibson and Dunn.

The meeting’s Resolution Book with Reports is available electronically on the ABA House of Delegates 2021 Virtual Midyear Meeting Webpage where you will be able to access and view the full reports for each of the resolutions, as well as obtain other key information and resources. After the meeting, I will provide you with a summary of the actions taken for each resolution.

If you have a particular interest or an opinion about any of these matters, please let me know, and I will share your comments with the members of the Kansas delegation in the House.

Your commitment to the Association really does make a difference. The ABA Member Advantage program works hard to benefit the legal profession. Please encourage other lawyers, especially those recently admitted to the bar, to join the ABA.

Thank you and I hope you will join us for the 2021 Virtual Midyear Meeting. If you have any questions or comments, or if I can be of assistance, please email me.

Best Regards,

Rachael Pirner
ABA Kansas State Delegate
RKPIRNER@twgfirm.com