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« How Rudy Will Run | Main | Haggard follow-up » January 29, 2007Enslaved on the ABA membership rolesToday I received in the mail my "FREE American Bar Association membership" which is allegedly a $125 value. I'm not special though. The ABA offers free membership to every first year lawyer in the U.S. That's a big reason why the organization is able to boast 400,000 members. I have twice before declined membership into the ABA, yet each time I'm left on their roles. I can assume that I haven't been mistakenly re-added because the membership/identification number has remained the same throughout. At first blush a free membership into such a seemingly benign organization would be welcomed. But I'm not so eager to join their ranks. For starters, the ABA has taken upon itself the task of advocating a host of issues which, in my opinion, have nothing to do with representing the interests of lawyers and judges. For instance, the ABA has taken decidedly left-wing positions on abortion, capital punishment and gun control. I have no interest in helping the ABA appear bigger and more powerful than it really is, even if the membership is free. To make matters worse, the ABA has a monopoly-like grip on law schools across the country. Without the ABA's approval (aka accreditation), graduates of a non-accredited law school cannot take their state's bar exam. Unfortunately the ABA's accreditation process is antiquated, and arguably racist. I will once again cancel my "FREE ABA membership," but there's no guarantee my cancellation will be honored. When organizations like the ABA claim to represent the collective interests of hundreds of thousands of people, it's important to remember where those numbers come from. Posted by Joshua Claybourn at January 29, 2007 10:15 AM CommentsJust think, even if you can dodge the ABA, you'll have the AARP to worry about. It sounds like they use the same business model. Posted by: David at January 29, 2007 11:09 AM | permalink Hang in there Josh; I still get mailings from the ABA despite turning down their membership overtures in 2003. The Federalist Society publishes a periodic "ABA Watch" that is useful in keeping strong against the ABA's ubiquity. Posted by: Pack at January 29, 2007 06:16 PM | permalink I let my ABA membership expire in the mid 80's. However, I don't see opposition to capital punishment as "leftwing" but as within the ideals of the Christian life. Posted by: Joel Betow at February 1, 2007 02:00 AM | permalink Post a comment |
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