American Bar Association Founded (1878)
On August 21, 1878, the American Bar Association (ABA) was founded in Saratoga Springs, New York by around 100 lawyers from 21 states. The ABA is a voluntary bar association made up of lawyers and law students to improve the legal profession without any specific jurisdiction affiliation in the United States.
Up through the middle of the 19th Century the legal profession was much different that it is today. Lawyers were generally solo practitioners who trained under a system of apprenticeship. Lawyers did not take “bar exams,” there was no national code of ethics, and there was no national organization to facilitate debate for increasingly complex legal issues. As such, a small group of lawyers around the country decided to create a volunteer organization to improve the legal system.
On this day, August 21, 1878, the ABA was founded in Saratoga Springs, New York by around 100 lawyers from 21 states. Since that time, the ABA has grown tremendously and has had a large impact on the legal profession.
Today, the stated mission of the ABA is "To serve equally our members, our profession and the public by defending liberty and delivering justice as the national representative of the legal profession." And the four main goals of the ABA are to (i) serve our members, (ii) improve our profession, (iii) Eliminate bias and enhance diversity, and (iv) advance the rule of law.
ABA membership is open to lawyers admitted to practice and in good standing before the bar of any state or territory of the United States. Currently, the ABA is comprised of around half of all practicing lawyers, or over 410,000 members, and its national headquarters is in Chicago, Illinois.
The ABA's activities include setting academic standards for law schools, creating model ethical codes for lawyers, improving the administration of justice, conducting educational and research projects, sponsoring professional meetings, publishing journals, and promoting other activities.
The ABA also has many different sections, divisions, and forums, some of which include, business law, criminal justice, alternative dispute resolution, family law, solo & small firm practice, intellectual property law, international law, labor and employment law, law student division, etc.
Overall, the ABA aims improve the legal profession and provide legal services to as many citizens as possible – just as it did when it was founded on this day in 1878.