American Bar Association

The American Bar Association (ABA) is the largest volunteer professional association in the world. It has over 400,000 members, 350,000 of which are practicing lawyers. The other members are comprised of mainly judges, court administrators, law teachers, and many non-practicing lawyers.
ABA serves a dual roll as an advocate for the legal profession and as a campaigner for public issues. ABA’s official mission is to promote justice, excellence, and respect for the law. The association is responsible for providing law school accreditation, continuing legal education, information about the law, programs to assist lawyers and judges in their work, and initiatives to improve the legal system for the public.
The American Bar Association has a long and honorable history. In 1878, the first 100 members of the Association met for the first time in Saratoga Springs, New York. At that time, the legal profession had very few regulations. Since that time, ABA has been very influential in introducing national regulations to insure that the American legal profession is the finest possible. Since its humble beginning, ABA has grown and prospered. Today, the ABA has are thirty-three different sections, divisions, and forums. All branches of law are represented within the ABA.
The legal profession can be seen as a giant confederation. When viewed in this light, the ABA is at the center of the legal profession. It connects legal professionals with each other as well as with the public. ABA works successfully to make the justice system better for all Americans.