JUDICIAL DIVISION MEMBERSHIP TALKING POINTS
Why should YOU join the Judicial Division?
You become part of a large network of colleagues.
When you join, you become part of a supportive professional network of almost 4,000 Judicial Division members passionate about the same things that move you and who deal with what you do every day. Fellow members become an invaluable source of advice and inspiration. Through our Discussion Groups, ABA Member Directory, Events, and Committees, members can easily connect with their peers across the country.
You have a national voice on important issues.
The Judicial Division is the judicial voice of the American Bar Association. Membership gives you a national voice on key issues and proposed policies that affect the judiciary and serves as a platform for your ideas on improving the judicial administration. Through-out the years the ABA and Judicial Division have advocated improving the judicial process and access to justice. We’ve worked to lobby policy and position efforts in support of the judiciary including:
• Federal tax intercept bill which would intercept tax refunds for those owing state and local court fines and fees
• Increased federal judicial salaries • Increased state court funding • State court discovery guidelines • Federal and state court security
• Guidelines for representation in criminal and juvenile court cases • Independence of the administrative law judiciary
• Jury guidelines
You can share your expertise and enhance your career.
Because the Judicial Division is a member-influenced organization, it relies heavily on the experience and skill of members for content and delivery. Share your expertise through committee/task force involvement or through opportunities to be published or speak at programs. Just to name a few projects some of our current committees are working on:
• Joint Committee Fighting Implicit Bias in the Justice System: Publishing a book on fighting implicit bias in the justice system and will develop a training curricula for judges, attorneys and court staff based on the book. The Committee is in conjunction with the Sections of Criminal Justice and Litigation.
• Task Force on Forensic Science in the Criminal Justice System: Holding hearings at the Midyear Meeting 2015 and a symposium with Northwestern School of Law Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology to share new practices with members of the forensic science and criminal justice communities as well as submitting policy recommendations to the ABA.
• Judicial Outreach on a Shoestring: Publishing a 2nd edition of this book informing readers of successful judicial outreach programs that are easy to replicate; providing a template for successful programs, and suggesting standards to measure the programs’ success.
• 3-Day Conference with the National Judicial College: Presenting 17 classes for trial court judges.
• State Court Funding: Worked with the National Center for State Courts and the ABA Task Force on State Court Funding to develop regional meetings for state chief justices and members of their court systems to develop and analyze methods for increasing state court funding.
• Judicial Disqualification: Worked with other ABA entities and the Conference of Chief Justices to develop ABA policy to address considerations/standards for judicial disqualification.
You can help shape the future of the judiciary through outreach.
The Judicial Division provides the channels for you to promote diversity in the courts and on the bench through its many outreach programs and initiatives. The Division is committed to improving the understanding of the judiciary and the need for fair, impartial and diverse courts. Our initiative and programs include:
• Judicial Clerkship Program: Held annually in conjunction with the ABA Midyear Meeting, this program is
designed to bring judges and minority law students together through structured networking and educational activities that encourage them to apply for judicial clerkships.
• Standing Committee on Diversity in the Judiciary Youth Outreach Program: Held at the ABA Annual
and Midyear Meetings, the Youth Outreach program brings together judges and lawyers with students to engage in topics such as Path to the Bench, Rights and Responsibilities, Freedom of Speech, and Civics and Law.
• Perceptions of Justice Project: Stemming from what began as an open forum for dialogue between judges and members of local communities about perceptions of, and personal experiences, with the justice system held in several states, this project works to create programs and resources on implicit bias.
You are never “out of the loop” on the latest judicial news and trends.
The news never stops, and though our publications, website, social media, and emails, your membership keeps you up-to-date with what’s happening in the judiciary and the legal field. Your membership includes subscriptions to:
• ABA Journal: a monthly legal trade magazine and the flagship publication of the American Bar Association; complemented on the internet with the ABA Journal Online site and the ABA Journal E Report newsletter. • The Judges’ Journal: a quarterly publication and one of the nation's foremost judicial journals and the
authoritative source on innovations in the justice system.
• JD Record: the Judicial Division’s quarterly e-newsletter, keeping you up-to-date the latest Division related news and activities.
• Highway to Justice: a quarterly e-bulletin designed to be you a source for national traffic safety news. • Appellate Issues: subscription included for Council of Appellate Lawyer members.
You gain access to judicial-related training and resources.
The Judicial Division is the most complete source within the ABA for educational programs and materials on judicial administration. Our programs, available in live and distance learning format, cover a wide-range of current topics affecting the judiciary for judges and lawyers. Our Divisions’ website provides resources to promote and improve the administration of justice, judicial independence and the bench and bar relationship. Members receive FREE and discounted access to these programs and resources.
Your membership can pay for itself.
ABA membership can pay for itself through discounts and savings. Our members have access to complimentary and discounted programs and events, brand-name products and services plus members-only pricing at ABA Advantage and ABA Webstore.
Our ABA Advantage categories include (learn more at www.ambar.org/advantage):
Travel and Lifestyle: Hilton, Hertz, Starwood Hotel, Mercedes Benz, Brook Brothers, Orbitz for Business, Dollar
Rent A Car, Thrifty Car Rental, Cartus Affinity Services, and Preferred Rate Hotels.
Insurance and Finance: ABA Retirement Funds, Insurance for ABA Members, Bank of America, and Law Pay. Office Products and Services: Ricoh, UPS, Office Depot, Paychex, Xerox, and Agility Recovery.
Technology and Communications: Sprint, Lenovo, Clio, Privacy Data Systems, Reputation.com, Right Signature,
DocuSign, MyCase, Box, and Sage Timeslips.
ABA Advantage Discounts
www.ambar.org/advantage
Hilton Worldwide
Receive special savings on the best available rate at 4,200 hotels in the Hilton portfolio in 93 countries. Plus, get fast tracked to Hilton HHonors™ Gold level status!
Mercedes-Benz
Members* save $500 to $3,000 on the purchase or lease of a new Mercedes-Benz.
*Eligibility in the Mercedes-Benz Premier Access Program is limited to lawyer and law student members. This offer cannot be combined with other dealer/fleet incentives.
Starwood Hotel and Resort
Save every day on the best available rate and up to 35% with special offers at more than 500 participating Starwood hotels worldwide. Plus, qualify for Corporate-Preferred level membership in the Starwood Preferred Guest program.
Hertz
Save up to 25% on car rentals, get FREE Hertz Gold Plus Rewards™ status, and save $250 on used rental fleet cars.
Dollar Rent A Car
Thrifty Car Rental
Receive special savings on car rentals with Thrifty, a Hertz company. Discount applies to all car types at participating U.S. and Canada locations.
Cartus Affinity Services
Receive up to $3,100 (in most states) when you buy or sell your home with the Real Estate Assistance Program for ABA Members.
Orbitz for Business
Access ABA-negotiated airfare, hotel and car rental discounts.
Brooks Brothers
Save 15% on regularly priced clothing for men, women and children.
Preferred Rate Hotels
Save up to 40% at more than 100 luxury hotels and resorts around the world. Free breakfast and internet included at select locations.
Bank of America
Earn more cash back on the things you buy most with the ABA BankAmericard Cash Rewards™ credit card from Bank of America.
Bank of America Practice Solutions
ABA members save on a full range of financing options with a 50% discount on loan administration fees.
Insurance for ABA Members
Insurance for lawyers to protect your life, health, firm and income.
ABA Retirement Funds
Retirement benefits and services for law firms of any size.
Law Pay Credit Card Processing
Designed specifically for attorneys, save 25% or more on card processing fees and avoid commingling client funds.
Ricoh
Save up to 50% on office equipment and up to 20% on practice management services.
UPS
Savings of up to 49% on shipping you can rely on.
Office Depot
ABA members save up to 50% on a full range of office supply, cleaning and breakroom products.
Paychex
ABA members save 15% on payroll processing and HR administration.
Xerox
With Xerox® technology, you can create a more versatile, secure document workflow within your firm. ABA members save up to 50% on office equipment.
DocuSign
Save 15% on DocuSign, the fastest way to sign and request signatures on legal contracts.
Agility Recovery
Sprint
ABA members save up to 20% on select corporate wireless service plans, and up to 17% on select individual plans.
Lenovo
Save up to 30% on a full range of computers for office and home and get FREE ground shipping.
Clio
Save 10% on your subscription to Clio, the leading cloud-based practice management system.
Privacy Data Systems
Save 15% on hosted, secure messaging.
Reputation.com
Save 10% on online image management and look as professional online as you do offline.
Right Signature
Receive 20% discount on annual subscription on the easiest, fastest way to get documents filled out and signed online.
MyCase
Save 20% on MyCase, the legal practice management software trusted by thousands of attorneys. It's time to love your software!
Sage Timeslips
Save 15% on purchases of Sage Timeslips employee time tracking software solution for small to mid-sized companies.
