ABA House adopts policies on professional independence, legal education, law enforcement at Annual Conference

August 04, 2026

ABA House adopts policies on professional independence, legal education, law enforcement at Annual Conference

The House also adopted several policies dealing with law enforcement including:

• Resolution 511, which urges federal, state, local, territorial and tribal law enforcement agencies to prohibit the routine use of face coverings, masks or other identity concealing gear absent narrowly defined and documented situations where temporary anonymity is essential to officer or public, safety and to ensure that whenever face coverings are used under such circumstances, law enforcement officers and agents must display clearly visible, unique and verifiable identification throughout the encounter.

• Resolution 512, which urges Congress to enact legislation addressing immigration arrests and searches in a home, dwelling or other constitutionally protected area that requires a warrant issued by a neutral and detached judicial officer based upon probable cause except where a recognized judicial exception to a warrant requirement applies and requires federal immigration officers to clearly disclose when seeking consent whether they possess a judicial warrant issued by a court. It also should require immigration officials to develop policies and training materials that accurately educate officers on the requirement of a judicially issued warrant.

• Resolution 607, which calls on the ABA to affirm that the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus is central to the structure of the United States Constitution, to the protection of individual liberty and to the judicial branch's responsibility to give effect to constitutional rights and calls on officials to preserve and uphold meaningful access to habeas corpus or commensurate post-conviction remedies for persons alleging violations of constitutional rights so that the writ serves its historic function as a safeguard against unlawful convictions and detentions.

Other policies passed by the House included:

• Resolution 404, which urges the adoption of laws and policies to prohibit the manufacture, sale and possession of all conversion devices that increase the rate of fire of a semi-automatic firearm to approximate, match or exceed the rate of fire of a machine gun.

• Resolution 513, which urges with respect to any current or future armed conflicts and uses of force internationally, that the governments of all States strictly observe the rule of law, including Articles 1 and 2 of the United Nations Charter and all applicable international humanitarian and human rights law, including treaties such as the 1949 Geneva Conventions and customary international law.

• Resolution 610, which urges the President of the United States to release the U.S. State Department report and underlying analysis used to justify the Presidential Memorandum entitled "Withdrawing the United States from International Organizations, Conventions and Treaties that Are Contrary to the Interests of the United States," dated January 7, 2026, to ensure transparency and facilitate a rule-of-law based evaluation of the impact of the proposed withdrawals. It also calls on the Administration and Congress to support continued U.S. participation in and funding for the 66 United Nations and other international organizations identified in the Presidential Memorandum, recognizing that international cooperation governed by the rule of law is foundational to the stability of the global economy, security, democracy, human rights, environmental protection and sustainable development.

• Resolution 605, which urges all governments, including U.S. federal, state, local, territorial and tribal governments, to enact, implement and enforce laws and policies, as appropriate, to establish 18 years of age as the minimum age for marriage, without exception and to ensure that all marriages between those 18 years of age or older are entered into only with the free and full consent of both parties, consistent with principles of due process and contract law.

Outgoing ABA President Michelle A. Behnke of Wisconsin and incoming ABA President Barbara J. Howard of Ohio delivered remarks. Incoming ABA President-Elect Laura Farber of California, and ABA Executive Director Alpha Brady also addressed the House. Jonathan Cole, chair of the House of Delegates, presided over the meeting, handing over the gavel at the end of the meeting to incoming Chair Aurora Austriaco of Illinois, who will serve as Chair of the House of Delegates for the 2026-28 term.

The policymaking House encompasses nearly 600 delegates from ABA entities and state, local and specialty bar associations. House proposals do not become ABA policy until they are approved by the House, which meets twice annually. The next House meeting will be held during the ABA Midyear Meeting, Jan. 27-Feb. 1, 2027, in Chicago.

Contact the ABA Communications office for updated and final resolutions and reports.