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mandatory ABA membership?
Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 12:46 am
by tomfoolery
My understanding is that, as a 1L, my school automatically signs me up in the ABA. Dues are billed to my account.
Is this typical? And why is this automatic?
The ABA has taken definitive stands on some controversial issues, and I may or may not agree with any or all of them.
If the ABA was purely a professional organization, I might understand. But it isn't. It's as much political as it is professional.
How would the legal/academic community react if a school automatically registered all 1Ls for the Federalist Society?
Thoughts?
Re: mandatory ABA membership?
Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 12:51 am
by rinkrat19
You probably shouldn't attend any accredited law school, then. That's exactly like an endorsement of all the ABA's positions.
Re: mandatory ABA membership?
Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 1:08 am
by reasonable_man
tomfoolery wrote:My understanding is that, as a 1L, my school automatically signs me up in the ABA. Dues are billed to my account.
Is this typical? And why is this automatic?
The ABA has taken definitive stands on some controversial issues, and I may or may not agree with any or all of them.
If the ABA was purely a professional organization, I might understand. But it isn't. It's as much political as it is professional.
How would the legal/academic community react if a school automatically registered all 1Ls for the Federalist Society?
Thoughts?
One week deep into law school and already you're in love with yourself? That didn't take long.
Re: mandatory ABA membership?
Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 1:32 am
by kalvano
The mandatory dues thing is bullshit, though.
Re: mandatory ABA membership?
Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 8:57 am
by 2014
The normal rate is 30 a year I think and the school probably gets a group discount by signing the whole class up. Of all the things to stress about this probably shouldn't be a big one.
Re: mandatory ABA membership?
Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 1:43 pm
by Gorki
That is BS. I guess idk if my school does that... we were heavily lobbied to pay to join the student division of the ABA, but I never did so.
ABA is just a lobbying instrument for biglaw and law school administrators; paying to be part of the state bar association is more than enuff for me.
Re: mandatory ABA membership?
Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 1:44 pm
by Mce252
It's almost as bad as a mandatory NYT subscription.
Re: mandatory ABA membership?
Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 2:04 pm
by unlicensedpotato
Fight the power. You can at least go and complain to the school administration and see what their reaction is.
Re: mandatory ABA membership?
Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 9:54 pm
by PolySuyGuy
tomfoolery wrote:My understanding is that, as a 1L, my school automatically signs me up in the ABA. Dues are billed to my account.
Is this typical? And why is this automatic?
The ABA has taken definitive stands on some controversial issues, and I may or may not agree with any or all of them.
If the ABA was purely a professional organization, I might understand. But it isn't. It's as much political as it is professional.
How would the legal/academic community react if a school automatically registered all 1Ls for the Federalist Society?
Thoughts?
It isn't the mandatory ABA that gets to me, it is the mandatory SBA that kills me. Those worthless good for nothing........
The only group I have ever met with more self importance is the High School Prom Committee.

Re: mandatory ABA membership?
Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 9:57 pm
by kay2016
Seconded on the mandatory SBA opinion.