The ABA Conference, a pivotal event that underscores the essence of our legal profession, was a significant platform. It served as a beacon of inspiration for young lawyers, guiding us on our professional journey and highlighting the importance of such conferences in our growth.

On August 2, 2024, I was privileged to represent the Michigan State Bar Young Lawyer Section at the ABA Conference. This event was a platform to connect with attorneys from across the nation and a significant opportunity to vote on resolutions crucial to our Section. My participation in this impactful event, which lasted from August 2 to August 5, 2024, highlighted the profound influence such conferences have on the growth and development of young lawyers like myself, inspiring and motivating us to strive for excellence.

On my first date, I did two video interviews at the Conference with the ABA media and marketing group.  The ABA has a TikTok and Instagram page, and my interview will be posted on their site.

The theme of the ABA conference was the importance of Democracy, a topic that carries significant historical weight.  My first interview delved into the historical context of voting rights, a topic of immense gravity.  I advocate for voting because every American did not always have the right to vote.  In the past, you had to own land for an American to have the right to vote.  In addition, gender and race were also a hindrance to Americans’ right to vote.  The 15th Amendment granted African Americans and other races the right to vote. However, African American voters faced artificial hurdles like poll taxes and literacy tests used to discourage and disqualify voters. These tactics continued until the 24th Amendment in 1964, which eliminated the poll tax, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which ended Jim Crow Laws.  The 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote over 100 years ago. 

Despite the Amendments and Acts that removed the race and gender issues, voter suppression still exists in America. These tactics include limiting the hours polls are open and reducing polling locations in minority locations. Therefore, we must remain steadfast in our fight to uphold Democracy and the equal protection of all Americans to vote, a struggle that demands our continued commitment and engagement.

The second interview was a refreshing change from the serious discussions, as it was fun and light-hearted. We covered the most overused terms of Attorneys, which was a topic that brought a smile to everyone’s face.  In the interview, I shared that the most overused term of an Attorney is “it depends.” I explained that attorneys often use this term because there is always a gray area in law, and we do not like to give guarantees unless we know the definite answer.  Most people take attorneys’ words as law or a certain truth, so it would be negligence for an attorney to give information they are unsure of the outcome.

After my interviews, I attended the Young Lawyers mid-year delegation meeting.  In the meeting, we voted on resolutions posed to the Young Lawyers Section of the ABA.  Michigan represents District 20 of the delegate’s districts.  Many of the resolutions involved constitutional issues of equal protection. One resolution that stood out to me was the resolution advocating for the protection of the personal information of Attorneys, Judges, and Law Clerks.  This resolution, a crucial step towards ensuring our safety and security, stood out to me because most of us Attorneys are one Google search away from our clients knowing where we live.  Clients could use our personal information to attempt to hurt us.  Therefore, we should be protected from that danger.  The passed resolutions could make it to Congress through a series of steps, including review by the ABA’s legislative counsel and potential endorsement by the ABA House of Delegates so that they can make laws to protect our personal information.

My overall experience at the ABA Conference was invaluable.  I had the chance to interact with numerous legal professionals, share my contact information for future networking, and receive advice from more experienced attorneys. This experience enriched my knowledge and reinforced the importance of such conferences for the growth and development of young lawyers, underscoring the immense value of these interactions in our professional journey.

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Antwuan M. Hawkins is an Attorney and YLS Representative for District 2. He works at Levine Benjamin in SSDI.