BTL Staff
CHICAGO – With nearly 410,000 members the American Bar Association (ABA) is one of the largest voluntary professional membership organizations around the world.
Earlier this week the ABA adopted Resolution 114B stating that the LGBT community has a human right to be free from discrimination, threats and violence based on their identity and condemns all laws, regulations and rules or practices that discriminate on the LGBT status of an individual. 114B also asks other bar associations and attorneys in jurisdictions where discrimination exists, to defend victims of anti-LGBT discrimination or conduct and furthermore help urge the Government through bilateral and multilateral channels, to work to end discrimination against LGBT people and to help them receive equal protection under the law.
The ABA sets ethical codes for the legal profession and academic standards for law schools. The ABA has previously passed resolutions supporting marriage equality and opposing the use of "gay panic" or "trans panic" defenses in criminal cases.
