Does the Dems have equivalent to "Republicans National Lawyers Assoc" ?

[radio4progressives]

Broadcast on C-Span yesterday was none other than Karl Rove speaking to the "Republican Lawyers Association" http://www.rnla.org/, which i caught already in progress... when i tuned in Karl was "speaking out" on the issue of "election reform" - in classic Rove-Orwellian speak - he was complaining about "election fraud" that "Democrats" were engaged in referencing the 2000 elections in various precincts and states - mentioning St Louis Mo., somewhere in Florida, Michigan, and Texas (if memory serves). Imagine my mouth dropping to the floor as i stood there with remote in hand, too stunned to move or even change the channel.

I was astounded to be listening to sentiments and complaints which could have been picked up right from bradblog.com or any other election fraud discussion boards and websites any of us concerned about the issue in 2000 and 2004 might have engaged in at one time or another.

There were the usual attacks on Democratic policies issues, and the usual hyping one the "health of the economy" and the soundness of tax cuts and blah blah blah.

What concerns me is the organization, "Republican Attorney Association" and why there isn't a Democratic Attorney Association or equivalent.. or at least not one that goes by a similar name... I would not consider the ACLU, nor the National Lawyers Guild as an equivalent, because their missions are non-partisan - focused on Civil Liberties, I read that the ACLU recently hired a Republican as their new director.

Does anyone know if there is a "Democratic Lawyers Association"? Google brings up international associations, i'm referring to an org that is a national equivalent to the RNLA.

This site (below) lists organizations that are a mixed bag of law associations, but none that i can see are equivalent.

http://www.law.ucla.edu/home/index.asp?page=1405

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. The National Lawyers Guild.

It's not Democratic lawyers, specifically, but it's a group that helps promote progressive causes. http://www.nlg.org/

[vademocrat]

2. American Constitution Society

I got this in an email from my dad recently:

"This week's issue of The Nation has a piece by Abner Mikva, former congressman, federal judge and White House counsel, about the growth of the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS), an organization for liberal lawyers much like the Federalist Society is for the conservatives. In five years, he says, the ACS has made much progress is matching the Federalists network of chapters. There are chapters at 142 law schools and in 21 major cities and I began to wonder how I could find out what is going on in Lexington. Then, I was pleased to read that ACS has active chapters not only at Harvard, Yale and Stanford but "at Brigham Young, Arkansas and Washington and Lee."

The entire article is subscription only but here's a link with the first two paragraphs - http://www.thenation.com/docprem.mhtml?i=20060417&s=mikva

[radio4progressives]

5. Thanks, I think I recall one of these atty's at the Elite-O hearing

but i don't recall any of the RNLA identified at the Elite-O hearing.. However, I'm assuming that the Republican National Lawyers Association are Federalists Society people.. And those comprising the National Bar Association?

[Neil Lisst]

3. The American Trial Lawyers

aka the trial lawyers
http://www.atla.org/

those heartless bastards who front and/or eat case expenses, and work for free unless they get their client a recovery

http://www.crp.org/orgs/summ_img.asp?ID=D000000065&type=P

http://www.crp.org/orgs/summary.asp?ID=D000000065

[radio4progressives]

6. Well Good, that makes me feel a little bit better...

although it appears their support had off significantly in past couple of years.. i wonder why... maybe the economy.. ?

[Neil Lisst]

7. I suspect those numbers understate the contributions

and those are just dollars, not work for causes.

Find a cause, and see if there aren't several lawyers working tirelessly and probably for free on it.

[Coastie for Truth]

4. At one time Philadelphia had a Democratic Lawyers' Club

and (depending on the organizational structure) a lot of State affiliates of the American Civil Liberties Union have a "Lawyers' Committee" that provides both networking and accredited CLE on current ConLaw related issues.