The ABA was founded on August 21,1878, in Saratoga Springs, New York, by 100 lawyers from 21 states. The legal profession as we know it today barely existed at that time. Lawyers were generally sole practitioners who trained under a system of apprenticeship. There was no national code of ethics; there was no national organization to serve as a forum for discussion of the increasingly intricate issues involved in legal practice.

The first ABA constitution, which is still substantially the charter of the association, defined the purpose of the ABA as being for "the advancement of the science of jurisprudence, the promotion of the administration of justice and a uniformity of legislation throughout the country...."

Today, the stated mission of the American Bar Association is "to be the national representative of the legal profession, serving the public and the profession by promoting justice, professional excellence and respect for the law."

The 11 goals of the association are:

Goal I

To promote improvements in the American system of justice.

Goal II

To promote meaningful access to legal representation and the American system of justice for all persons regardless of their economic or social condition.

Goal III

To provide ongoing leadership in improving the law to serve the changing needs of society.

Goal IV

To increase public understanding of and respect for the law, the legal process, and the role of the legal profession.

Goal V

To achieve the highest standards of professionalism, competence and ethical conduct.

Goal VI

To serve as the national representative of the legal profession.

Goal VII

To provide benefits, programs and services which promote professional growth and enhance the quality of life of the members.

Goal VIII

To advance the rule of law in the world.

Goal IX

To promote full and equal participation in the legal profession by minorities, women and persons with disabilities.

Goal X

To preserve and enhance the ideals of the legal profession as a common calling and its dedication to public service.

Goal XI

To preserve the independence of the legal profession and the judiciary as fundamental to a free society.

The ABA's influence today stems from both the number and diversity of its membership. ABA members represent approximately half of all lawyers in the United States.

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.

Eligible to join the ABA as associates are individuals who are not admitted to practice law in any jurisdiction, but have an interest in the work of the ABA. Members of the legal profession in other nations who have not been admitted to the practice of law in the United States can become international associates.

ABA Governance

The ABA governing structure is composed, for the most part, of members who have actively served the public and the profession for many years. Usually, activity within the association begins with participation in the numerous projects of the Law Student Division and the Young Lawyers Division and evolves into service with sections, committees, forum committees, and other ABA entities. Often, those members participating in these ABA activities assume leadership roles in their state and local bars as well.

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ABA Structure

House of Delegates — The House of Delegates, established in 1936, meets twice each year, at ABA Annual and Midyear Meetings. The control and administration of the ABA is vested in the House of Delegates, the policy-making body of the association.

At the Midyear Meeting, the Nominating Committee nominates officers and members of the Board of Governors. During the Annual Meeting, the full house votes on these nominees and on any nominations made by petition.

Action taken by the House of Delegates on specific issues becomes official ABA policy [Members Only].

As of August 2002, the House of Delegates consisted of 539 members:

• 52 State Delegates
• 214 State Bar Association Delegates
• 84 Local Bar Association Delegates
• 1 Virgin Islands Bar Association Delegate
• 1 Guam/Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Delegate
• 18 Delegates-At-Large
• 71 Present and Former Officers and Board Members
• 67 Section, Division and Conference Delegates
• 2 Ex-Officio Members
• 29 Affiliated Organization Delegates

The Committee on Scope and Correlation of Work studies the structure, functions and work of sections, committees, and other ABA entities, making recommendations to the House of Delegates or Board of Governors to help correlate the work of the association as a whole and better allocate the ABA's resources.

Board of Governors — The 37-member Board of Governors has the authority to act and speak for the ABA, consistent with previous action of the House of Delegates, when the House is not in session. The Board usually meets five times a year. It oversees the general operation of the association and develops specific plans of action.

The Board is composed of 18 district representatives; 13 members-at-large (two of whom must be less than 36 years old at the beginning of their term, one of whom must be an active member of the judiciary, six of whom represent the sections, and, until the conclusion of the 2005 Annual Meeting, two minority members-at-large and two women members-at-large); and the following ex-officio members: the president, president-elect, chair of the House of Delegates, secretary, treasurer, and immediate past president, and every third year a secretary-elect and a treasurer-elect.

The Board has four committees: Executive, Operations/Communications, Program/Planning and Finance.

Officers — The elected ABA officers are the president, president-elect, chair of the House of Delegates, secretary and treasurer. The executive director is the chief operating officer of the association.

The president serves for one association year, from the adjournment of one annual meeting to the adjournment of the following annual meeting. The president, or his or her designee, is the official spokesperson in expressing association policy as determined by the House of Delegates. The president presides at meetings of the Board of Governors. Unless otherwise provided, the president appoints the chairs and members of standing and special committees of the association, and committees of the Board.

The president-elect serves a term of one association year and performs such duties as the president may assign, or the duties of the president should the president become disabled and unable to perform the duties of office or be absent from any meeting of the House of Delegates.

The chair of the House of Delegates serves a two-year term and is elected in even-numbered years. The chair presides at meetings of the House and of the nominating committee; presides, in the absence of the president, at meetings of the Board of Governors; presides, in the absence of the president and president-elect, at meetings of the Board of Governors and any other events; appoints committees of the House; determines procedures for filling vacancies in elected positions on the Board of Governors; serves as a member ex-officio, without vote, of the Committee on Scope and Correlation of Work; and transmits reports and information as to action taken by the House to each state and participating local bar association and affiliated organization.

The secretary serves a three-year term, which begins one association year following his or her election. The preceding year is served as secretary-elect. The secretary keeps the minutes and records of the House of Delegates, the Board of Governors and the Nominating Committee; keeps the roster of the House of Delegates; receives, certifies and publishes the results of mail ballots of the Nominating Committee and the results of the election of delegates at-large; receives and keeps as the property of the association all papers, addresses and reports to the House; and gives notice, as required, to the House of Delegates, Board of Governors or the members of the association.

The treasurer also serves one three-year term beginning one association year following election. The preceding year is served as treasurer-elect. The treasurer supervises the safekeeping of the funds and investments of the association and reports periodically to the House of Delegates and Board of Governors on the financial condition of the association. The treasurer's annual report is submitted for examination and audit by a certified public accountant designated by the Board of Governors.

In the association year preceding their term as secretary and treasurer, the secretary-elect and treasurer-elect each perform duties as the Board of Governors, and the secretary or treasurer respectively, may prescribe.

Sections, Divisions, Committees, Task Forces, Forums and Conference Groups — The association is composed of more than 2,200 individual entities. Its current membership structure includes 23 sections, five divisions, six forums and many commissions, standing and special committees, and task forces. Many of these groups publish material dealing with their field of expertise, much of which is not available through commercial publishers. In addition to publishing journals, newsletters, magazines, and books, in print and online, these entities also sponsor conferences and continuing legal education seminars, courses, videotapes and satellite teleconferences, monitor legislation, conduct studies and make policy recommendations to the ABA House of Delegates.

Sections, divisions and forums range in size from about 2,300 members to more than 70,000. Each entity draws its membership from lawyers, judges or academicians and law students with common professional interests and operate much like independent bar associations with their own officers, dues, programs, publications, and committees. They address professional development, improvement of laws, public education and continuing education in a variety of fields.

ABA entities have more than 3,500 committees and publications of outstanding quality. Collectively these entities publish numerous magazines, journals, newsletters and books each year, making the ABA one of the largest publishers of legal information in the world. Sections also contribute to policy-making, both in their subject areas and association- wide. Sections originate many of the recommendations that become the ABA's policy positions and act as checks and balances on recommendations proposed by other entities. On matters within their fields on which no Association policy has been developed, sections can speak directly on their own behalf through "blanket authority" procedures.

Divisions also produce programs and publications but differ from sections in internal structure and membership. The Law Student Division is governed by a board of governors and has an assembly that meets only at the Annual Meeting. The Judicial Division has a 23-member council and consists of five judicial conferences and one lawyers conference, several with their own delegates to the house, and a committee structure. Each conference has its own members, officers, budget, committee structure and programmatic priorities. The Young Lawyers Division has approximately 125,000 members and a 69-member executive council with 34 geographic districts represented. This division also has an assembly consisting of representatives from affiliated young lawyer associations from each state, the number depending on the number of ABA young lawyer members in the state. Every ABA member younger than 36 years of age and those who have been admitted to the bar for five years or less are automatically members of this division. The Senior Lawyers Division membership is open to all ABA members 55 years of age and older or who have been admitted to the bar for 25 years or more. The division publishes a magazine and a newsletter four times yearly, and has established 40 committees addressing a number of concerns of older and retired lawyers. The Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division’s mission is to serve the nation’s public lawyers.

Forums were created by the House of Delegates principally to educate members in a specified field, within the purpose of the Association, and which are not otherwise served within the Association. There are currently six forums: Affordable Housing and Community Development Law, Air and Space Law, Communications Law, Construction Industry Law, Entertainment and Sports Industries Law, and Franchising Law.

Association standing and special committees and other related groups such as task forces and commissions have smaller memberships, between three and 20, and generally focus on specific assignments or narrower issues. Committee members are appointed by the ABA president. More than 1,000 ABA members serve on these committees.

Task forces are created occasionally by the Board of Governors to perform short-term assignments, and they are discontinued after reporting on their special assignments within a time limit set by the Board.

Conference groups have been created under the aegis of the House of Delegates. The membership of conference groups is divided between association members and members of another profession or discipline with which the association desires close communication. The ABA supports four national conference groups: Lawyers and Certified Public Accountants; Lawyers and Corporate Fiduciaries, which is now housed in the Section of Real Property, Probate and Trust Law; Lawyers and Representatives of the Media; and Lawyers and Scientists (A.A.A.S.), which is now housed in the Section of Science and Technology Law.

Fund for Justice and Education — To support law-related education and public service projects, the association's 501(c)(3) entity — the Fund for Justice and Education — solicits and accepts tax-deductible grants and gifts. Donors represent the legal profession, including the annual contributions of lawyers and law firms, as well as gifts and grants from corporations, foundations and government agencies. The fund provides nearly $40 million in support annually to ABA public service and educational projects. Through the nearly 200 projects supported by the fund, the association has an impact on individual members of the public as well as on justice issues affecting all citizens.

Offices — The association is headquartered at the American Bar Center, on the campus of Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago. In May 2004 the ABA will relocate its headquarters to larger space at 321 N. Clark in Chicago, and consolidate all Chicago staff units. Other staff units are now located in additional office space in Chicago, due to growth in staff size and new programs and projects.

Since 1996, the ABA Museum of Law has offered exhibits on the law and legal issues, events, and personalities. The museum's current exhibit is America's Lawyer-Presidents: From Law Office to Oval Office. The exhibit's companion book, published by Northwestern University Press, is available from the ABA Web Store. The Museum is located in the lower level of the ABA's headquarters building at 321 North Clark Street in Chicago.

The ABA Washington Office, established in 1957, houses the Governmental Affairs Office and numerous section and committee staff support components in the professional and public service areas, including seven sections and 30 committees and commissions.

In 1995 the association dedicated its new facilities for Washington Office needs. The building is a distinguished-looking structure at the corner of 15th and H Streets, one block from Lafayette Square. Built in 1907, it is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Governmental Affairs — The Governmental Affairs Office serves as the "eyes, ears and voice" of the organized bar in the nation's capital.

The ABA has no political action committee and makes no political contributions.

The status of important bills and regulations is communicated bi-weekly to state and local bar associations and to all sections and committees of the association through the Washington Summary. The monthly Washington Letter, with a focus on Congress, provides a more in-depth analysis of major governmental activities and legislation affecting the legal profession.
The Governmental Affairs Office also conveys the views of the ABA on a broad range of issues to numerous government entities. For example, in the 106th Congress (1999-2000), the American Bar Association lobbied on more than 110 issues, provided testimony at 28 congressional hearings, and sent more than 185 letters to different members of Congress, congressional committees and executive branch entities stating the Association's policies on dozens of legislative issues, including funding for the Legal Services Corporation and protecting the independence of the federal judiciary.

In 1986, the GAO expanded its efforts beyond the federal arena by establishing a State Legislative Clearinghouse to track important state legislative developments of interest to the organized bar. The State Legislative Report provides a regular overview of developments in the state legislative arena.

Staff — A professional staff of more than 750 employees assists members in carrying out their activities and expediting the dissemination of information. The staff organization chart depicts the current staff structure of the association.

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Sections, Divisions and Forums

• Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice
• Antitrust Law
• Business Law
• Criminal Justice
• Dispute Resolution
• Energy, Environment and Resources
• Family Law
• Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development
• Forum on Air and Space Law
• Forum on Communications Law
• Forum on Construction Industry
• Forum on Entertainment and Sports Industries
• Forum on Franchising
• General Practice, Solo & Small Firm
• Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division
• Health Law
• Individual Rights and Responsibilities
• Intellectual Property Law
• International Law
• Judicial Division
• Labor and Employment Law
• Law Practice Management
• Law Student Division
• Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar
• Litigation
• Public Contract Law
• Public Utility, Communications and Transportation Law
• Real Property, Probate and Trust Law
• Science and Technology Law
• Senior Lawyers Division
• State and Local Government Law
• Taxation
• Tort Trial and Insurance Practice
• Young Lawyers Division

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Committees, Commissions and Other ABA Entities

• ABA/BNA Lawyers’ Manual on Professional Conduct Editorial Board
• ALI-ABA Committee on Continuing Professional Education
• Africa Law Initiative Council
• Amicus Curiae Briefs, Standing Committee on
• Armed Forces Law, Standing Committee on
• Asia Law Initiatives Council
• Audit, Standing Committee on
• Bar Activities and Services, Standing Committee on
• Bioethics and the Law, Special Committee on
• Board of Elections
• Central and East European Law Initiative
• Client Protection, Standing Committee on
• Coalition for Justice
• Constitution and Bylaws, Standing Committee on
• Continuing Education of the Bar, Standing Committee on
• Continuing Legal Education, Center for
• Continuing Professional Education, Committee
• Criminal Justice Standards Committee
• Customs Law Committee
• Death Penalty Representation Project
• Death Penalty Moratorium Implementation Project
• Delegates-at-Large
• Delivery of Legal Services, Standing Committee on
• Diversity in the Profession, Presidential Advisory Council on
• Domestic Violence, Commission on
• Election Law, Standing Committee on
• Enemy Combatants, Task Force on Treatment of
• Energy Law, Coordinating Group
• Environmental Law, Standing Committee on
• Ethics and Professional Responsibility, Standing Committee on
• Evaluation of the Rules of Professional Conduct, Commission on (Ethics 2000)
• Federal Judicial Improvements, Standing Committee on
• Federal Judiciary, Standing Committee on
• Fund for Justice and Education, Council on
• Fund for Justice and Education Advisors, Council on
• Gavel Awards, Standing Committee on
• Governmental Affairs, Special Committee on
• Group and Prepaid Legal Services, Standing Committee on
• Gun Violence, Coordinating Committee on
• Homelessness and Poverty, Commission on
• Human Rights, Center for
• Immigration Policy, Practice and Pro Bono, Commission on
• Immigration Pro Bono Development and Bar Activation Project
• Advisory Committee to the
• Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts, Commission on
• Judicial Independence, Standing Committee on
• Justice Center, Coordinating Council of the
• Latin America Law Initiative Council
• Law and Aging
• Law and National Security, Standing Committee on
• Law Library of Congress, Standing Committee on
• Lawyer Assistance Programs, Commission on
• Lawyer Referral and Information Service
• Lawyers and Certified Public Accountants, National Conference of
• Lawyers and Corporate Fiduciaries, National Conference of
• Lawyers and Representatives of the Media, National Conference of
• Lawyers’ Professional Liability, Standing Committee on
• Lawyers' Title Guarantee Funds, Standing Committee on
• Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants, Standing Committee on
• Legal Assistance for Military Personnel, Standing Committee on
• Legal Assistants, Standing Committee on
• Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility
• Legal Services and the Public, Consortium on
• Loan Repayment, Commission on
• Medical Professional Liability, Special Committee on
• Meetings and Travel, Standing Committee on
• Membership, Standing Committee on
• Mental and Physical Disability Law, Commission on
• Pro Bono and Public Service, Standing Committee on
• Professional Discipline, Standing Committee on
• Professionalism, Standing Committee on
• Professional Responsibility, Coordinating Council for the Center for
• Public Education, Standing Committee on
• Publishing Oversight, Standing Committee on
• Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession, Commission on
• Racial and Ethnic Diversity, Center for
• Racial and Ethnic Justice, Council on
• Research About the Future of the Legal Profession, Committee on
• Scope and Correlation of Work
• Solo and Small Firm Practitioners, Standing Committee on
• Specialization, Standing Committee on
• Strategic Communications, Standing Committee on
• Substance Abuse, Standing Committee on
• Technology and Information Systems, Standing Committee on
• Terrorism, Task Force on
• Unmet Legal Needs of Children, Steering Committee on
• Women in the Profession, Commission on

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Affiliated Organizations with Delegates in the House

• American Immigration Lawyers Association
• American Judicature Society
• American Law Institute, The
• Association of American Law Schools
• Association of Life Insurance Counsel
• Conference of Chief Justices
• Energy Bar Association
• Federal Bar Association, The
• Federal Circuit Bar Association
• Federal Communications Bar Association
• Hispanic National Bar Association
• Judge Advocates Association
• Maritime Law Association of the United States
• National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
• National Association of Attorneys General
• National Association of Bar Executives
• National Association of College and University Attorneys
• National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Inc.
• National Association of Women Judges
• National Association of Women Lawyers
• National Bar Association, Inc.
• National Conference of Bar Examiners
• National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws
• National Conference of Women's Bar Associations
• National District Attorneys Association
• National Legal Aid and Defender Association
• National Lesbian and Gay Law Association
• National Native American Bar Association
• National Organization of Bar Counsel, Inc.